An Unlikely Pair
by maghaseology
Summary: Logan is sent into a mental frenzy when a new mutant shows up at the mansion. A mutant he never expected to meet. Odd chapters are from the new mutant's perspective, even chapters are from Logan's. Will get get more intense in further chapters.
1. Chapter 1

Just to let everyone know - The only thing that I own is Faelan, an original character based on one that I created for a role playing game. The rest is not my own property, I did not create Logan or any of the other Xmen.

And I apologize already, I am a college student so postings might not be right away. I will try to post a new chapter each weekend when I can.

Enjoy, Maghaseology.

CHAPTER ONE

I couldn't sleep. I tossed and I turned until finally I just had to get up. Glancing out the window, I suddenly knew why I was awake. Barefoot and in only my pajamas I left my room to walk through the forest. Quietly I placed foot after foot, following a call that only I could hear. I entered a clearing and stopped. Across the grass, sitting patiently, waiting for me was a large male wolf. He allowed me to walk up and kneel on the ground in front of him.

I reached my hand out and paused, this time waiting for him. He lowered his head and rested against my palm. A moment later I felt it, the sudden appearance of his consciousness in the back of my mind. Just a little nudge, not dangerous, not demanding, but there. I dropped my hand back to my side and stood. I closed my eyes and relaxed, asking the wolf conscious to come forward.

And then I changed for the first time. It wasn't painful, or awkward. It felt right, almost pleasant. A moment later I was down on all fours, coated in the same gray and white fur. I had his strength, his agility, his power. I saw him turn and trot to the edge of the clearing, where he stopped, looked back at me and continued on. The two of us ran through the woods together that night as he taught me to use the abilities that were now mine. Early the next morning he led me back to my house. In the backyard I transformed back into myself and watched the wolf disappear into the growing daylight. When I looked back at the house, I found my parents staring at me through the kitchen window. They had seen what I had done, and they looked scared.

On that day I had turned twelve years old.

"_Faelan, I believe your assistance is needed down in the infirmary_." I heard the professor's voice in my head. Professor Summers must have heard it too because he nodded at me, giving me permission to leave class. I grabbed my books and my bag and ran downstairs. A new mutant had just come in, but he had been injured and unconscious. He must have woken up. He was an interesting case, animal minded, like me, but unlike me, he was fully human. He was also filled with a type of metal that I was unfamiliar with, and his scent was like nothing I had ever encountered.

Professor Xavier met me outside the door, Dr. Grey beside him. She was scratched up, but looked otherwise okay. But I could smell her fear, and I'm sure the new mutant could too.

"How can I be of help, Professor?" I asked, dropping my things by the wall.

"It would seem our new… friend… has woken up and is a little disoriented. I was hoping you might be able to calm him down a little."

"I can see what I can do." I went to open the door.

"You might not want to enter in _that_ form."

"What type of person is he?"

"He is called Logan, or the Wolverine." The professor answered before turning and leading Dr. Grey away from the room. It was all the information I needed. I opened the door just slightly before dropping down into a crouch. I sifted through the various animal consciousnesses in my mind until I found the one I wanted - the wolf. I transformed and used my new snout to push the door the rest of the way open.

I couldn't see him, but I could smell him. That unique scent now mixed with a certain level of confusion and fear. I dropped even lower to the floor and crept quietly into the room. He didn't know it, but I could hear him breathing and located him just on that factor. I turned only my head in his direction. His human mind was closed off to me so I reached out the only way the wolf mind knew how. I conveyed feelings of comfort and safety to him and finally I felt the animal mind slip a little.

"_Logan!_" I called. "_Logan, you must control yourself! You need to come out of there and be the human you know you are._" The animal jumped a little and I softened my voice. "_Please, trust me._"

We stared at each other for a few more moments before the metal claws retracted into his hands. "_I'm going to transform back now._" He nodded. Without moving I transformed slowly back into my human form. I came back in a low crouched position, one hand on the floor in front of me. My body may have changed but I made sure I retained a certain amount of the wolf's presence in case Logan snapped. When he didn't make a move, I stood. The only move he made was to eye my appearance.

When I had arrived at the Xavier School, I was given a special suit to be worn at all times. Essentially it was just a pair of leather pants and leather sleeveless top, something that could be worn as clothing, and I could just put on a jacket if I got cold. It actually was a suit that would transform with me, and be still on me whenever I transformed back into human shape. The top fit close to my body, but thankfully the legs of the pants were slightly looser. I kept my hair relatively short and colored like that of my first (and favorite) animal absorption. That was one of the cooler things about my powers - if I so chose, I could retain certain aspects of my absorptions in my natural appearance. For me it was the hawk irises and my wolf's gray and white colorings. It gave me a pleasantly unique look.

Logan stepped up, suddenly brave, and stared down at me. I made his collar bone, and just barely at that. His shoulders were twice my width and rippled with muscle. He was trying to intimidate me, I could smell it, but it wasn't going to happen.

"Who are you?" He asked his voice gruff.

"My name is Faelan."

"What's your real name?"  
"That's something you aren't entitled to use." I glared up into Logan's eyes. "You can't fool me; I know you're true feelings." This made him step back.

"What? How? Can you read minds?" I smiled and laughed a little.

"Hardly," I took a step closer and lowered my voice. "I can smell it on you." I raised my face towards his neck and face. "I can smell your feelings, where you've been, and especially," I looked into his eyes. "What you've done." I turned and walked towards the door.

"What am I suppose to do now?" He called.

"See the professor."

"How do I find him?" I stopped in the doorway and turned my head to look at him.

"You don't. He finds you."

Professor X was waiting for me back at my room. He didn't have to say anything for me to know what he wanted.

"He's back; he's scared though, and it's manifesting itself as anger. He's trying to be intimidating and rough, but he's lost. He doesn't know who he is or where he's been." The professor nodded, taking in all I had said and waiting for me to continue with what he knew I was thinking. "There's something else, something I can't place. It's a scent I've never encountered before. I'm sorry, but I don't know what it is."

"It's alright Faelan. You've done an extraordinary job. I'm very proud of you." I smiled, taking in those words for all they were worth. "I guess I should go find him before he causes any trouble." I watched as he turned to leave the room.

"Professor," He stopped and looked at me. "Why did you call me in? Why not Kurt, or Dr. McCoy? Or even Wolfsbane? Why me?"

"I called you because you are the only one who truly knows how he feels right now. You were the only one who knew how to reach him. You did, and I hope you will continue to do so."

I sat in my room for a while after that, considering what Professor X had said to me. I didn't know anything about the other's past. I just knew them from the time when I arrived. I also sensed that there was something more to what the professor was saying, I just couldn't figure out what it was.

I needed to get some air, to clear my head. I grabbed my black leather jacket and keys and headed down to the garage. Upon turning eighteen, I went out and bought a bike. I purchased a sport bike; a black Ninja ZX-14. It was my baby, my black wolf as I affectionately called it. I fired up my bike to warm up and was about to put my helmet in place when a familiar scent invaded my nostrils.

"Can I help you, Professor Summers?"

"Where are you going?"

"Just out for a ride." Before he could speak again I added to my statement. "Alone." I pulled my helmet on, straddled the bike and sped out the garage door before he could stop me. Scott was overprotective of the female students and it drove me nuts. If Professor Xavier thought me having a bike was dangerous, he wouldn't have allowed me to get it.

I raced along the windy, wooded roads, passing between cars and trucks at dangerously close distances. I didn't care. Out here I finally felt free and comfortable.

The mansion had been my place of residence for the past six and a half years, but it had never quite felt like home. A lot of the other students tended to avoid me, mainly because I always knew what they were feeling; I could always sense the things they didn't want anyone else to know. So a lot of the time I was by myself just observing everyone else, learning things about them that they had no idea they were telling.

At the top of the mountain I stopped. The sun was beginning to set and it was casting beautiful shadows across the trees. A breeze blew and sent an entirely unique smell past me.

"How did you manage to get up here, Logan?" I turned to find him behind me. "Walk?"

"Yes actually," he glared at me when he walked past to look over the side of the cliff. "What are you doing up here? Jumping?"

"No, being alone, which you happen to be ruining."

"Really? I was told no one was supposed to leave the mansion without a buddy." He said the last part sarcastically, like he thought he thought he was being treated like a five year old.

"Then it looks like we both broke the rules, now if you don't mind I'd like to continue breaking them the right way."

"Fine, I was going to try and help-"

"I don't need anyone's help." I snapped. I slid my helmet back on my head and jumped on my bike. Once again, I left before Logan had a chance to stop me.

I didn't go back to the mansion that night, or the next. I didn't go back for a long while. Six years to be exact. I had realized something up on the ledge that night. The only thing I had ever known was the mansion was being a mutant. I didn't know anything of the rest of the world, of what it meant to be a real, normal person. So I put my powers aside, returned my hair and eyes to my normal browns and was accepted to Princeton University.

Six years later I graduated with not only an undergraduate's degree, but also my master's in Neuropsychology. As I walked across campus towards my soon to be old dorm room, I met Professor Xavier.

"We've missed you at the school, Faelan." I didn't say anything. "Have you made plans for what you'll be doing next?" I shook my head. "You know you are always welcome at the mansion. I spoke honestly when I said we missed you." There was a hint of something in his voice, but I refrained from thinking on it.  
The truth was, as much as I loved college life, living on my own and whatnot, I still felt that disconnect from the rest of the world. My college friends didn't know about my mutation. They all just assumed I was highly intuitive, which was great but I hated hiding something big like that from them. And to be truly honest, there was someone at the mansion that I did miss.

I suddenly realized I was still standing in front of the professor, and that he had been present in my mind as I went through all of this.

"So I should expect you for dinner?" He smiled. I nodded my head. "See you then, my dear." He turned and made his way towards the car where Scott was waiting. I gave him a small wave of acknowledgement and continued on my way. I knew Professor Xavier would be sending a moving truck for all the things I had acquired in the past six years. All I had to do was take what I needed for tonight and tomorrow and make sure the rest was securely packed. It didn't take me long considering the amount of stuff that was going with me. I would be returning to the mansion as an adult, a full member of the X team. And that meant I was getting my own room.

At 6:30 I was insight of the mansion and stopped, viewing it from afar. The place hadn't changed in the six years I had been gone, which was somewhat comforting. I opened my senses to the surrounding area and found what I had always found out there, including that strangely unique scent which signaled the presence of one particular person.

I slid the visor of my helmet back down and my bike roared to life once more. Subconsciously, I sifted through the different consciousness in my mind and pulled a few to alter my appearance. I had grown my hair out since I had last been here. It was now straight and reached just below my shoulders. I changed it from its own plain brown back to the salt and peppered wolf's coloring, my eyes turning as well, this time to the wolf's gold.

I coasted up to the front doors of the mansion, cut the motor and shook my hair out as I lifted the helmet off my head. And then _his_ scent enveloped me entirely and I turned to find Logan leaning in the doorway.


	2. Chapter 2

I hope you guys enjoyed the first chapter. Just a reminder - the only thing I own is Faelan, the rest is property of Marvel Comics.

CHAPTER TWO

I heard the bike from literally a mile away. I heard when it stopped, and when it started up again, and when it got closer. I also knew whose bike it belonged to because I could smell her too. That sweet scent of lavender, mixed with a spicy pumpkin, and something else, something unique. I left the dining room as discretely as possible, heading for the front doors where I was sure she would stop.

"_Be nice to her Logan._" Professor Xavier's voice echoed in my head. "_She isn't the girl she was when she left here. She is a grown woman who deserves respect… and a chance._" I nodded in his direction, indicating that I had heard him and nothing more.

I was leaning comfortably against the door jamb by the time she pulled up on that Black Ninja of hers, dressed all in black leather, the heels of her boots on the foot pegs of her bike. I could feel a pull in my groin and I shifted slightly.

I watched her pull off her helmet, and shake out her now long hair. She was definitely a sight. She had filled out to be more than just some skinny know-it-all eighteen year old. She was twenty four now and showed it. I could tell by the way she moved that she had continued to work out even away from the mansion and a part of me couldn't wait to see what she had learned and was capable of.

"You still need to learn how to keep quiet; I could hear you a mile away." She turned and pierced me with shockingly golden eyes that froze me in place.

"If you stop throwing your scent around everywhere, I'll start being quiet." I laughed inside. She was never afraid of me. I allowed my eyes to roam over her. She held her helmet against her hip, holding it in place with her lower arm; the other hand rested confidently on her other side. "So what are you the bouncer now or did they turn into the butler?" The sarcasm dripped from her voice like dew on a wet morning. I loved it.

"Nah, I'm just something pretty for you to admire. The professor says I really accentuate the surrounding landscape." This received a small smile and chuckle from her.

"Well then Pretty in Pink, let me through. I'm starving." I stepped aside and sarcastically bowed her into the mansion.

"Faelan?" Storm had appeared from her office. Storm had apparently been one of very few people to ever get somewhat close to Faelan, and she was nearly devastated when she found out Faelan had left without telling anyone. "Faelan!"

"Storm!" The two women hugged each other. "I'm so sorry for not saying anything to you, but I just kind of left on a whim…"

"It's fine. You're back now and that's all that matters." The two hugged again. "Oh Faelan! It's so good to see you! How was school? And life? And everything? Any boys I need to know about?" Faelan laughed and the two went off together whispering and giggling. I instead turned and headed for my room, my head spinning with thoughts and images that I hadn't had for a very long time.

I still remembered the first time I had ever met Faelan. I had just woken up after being attacked and had found myself in a strange place that lacked any type of scent. It was Faelan that had calmed me down, brought me back to my senses. Those first few moments were the first and only time I had ever seen her close to being gentle and kind. As soon as my human mind had returned she became her own hidden self again.

I longed to see that gentle side again, to feel that gentle caress of her mind against mine. After she left, I thought that was going to be the last time I would ever see her. I had resolved myself to that, pushed thoughts and dreams and longings out of my head. But now she was back, and just as protective of herself as ever. It was probably in my best interest to put up those same protective shields as she had and remain at a distance.

The next morning I saw her in the hallway on the way down to breakfast. She was studying a piece of paper pretty intently, so intently that I was able to check her out without her noticing me. She was in those black leather, knee high, heeled boots, and a black skirt that fitted her hips and back side perfectly. Tucked into it was a blood red, fitted button down. Her hair was pulled back in a sexy ponytail that showed off her bangs.

"Logan I know you're there. What do you want?" Her voice brought me back to reality.

"Looks like you forgot how to read while at that fancy college of yours." She sighed and dropped her arms.

"No, I happen to be reading my new schedule so that I can prepare for my day."

"New schedule? Turning back into a student?" I chuckled.

"A teacher actually, for subjects you would know nothing about." She folded the paper back up and strode past me, which allowed her particular scent to explode into my nose. It was all I could do to not reach out and grab her and pull her against me. I clenched my fists tight and proceeded on to breakfast. There I met Professor Xavier.

"I thought I said to be nice to her. She's been gone a while, she needs to readjust to being here."

"It seems to me like she's doing fine."

"Do you realize that except for you and Storm, Faelan hasn't spoken with any other person? That's why I designated her to teach. To bring her back out from where ever she's buried herself."

"I don't think having her talk about the same things all day is going to help her."

"That's why I need you to be nice to her. I talked with Storm; she said that their conversation only contained information about the classes she had taken. That they contained nothing about what she did or where she actually went or even people she met."

"What difference does it make what she did? She was at college, she probably did college stuff."

"If she had done 'college stuff' she would be more apt to talk about it. I tried to look into her mind, but a large part of it has been blocked off from even me. She found out something, or something happened that she doesn't want us to know about."

"So what do you want me to do? She doesn't like me any more than I like her." Only part of that statement was true, but I decided it was better not to say anything.

"I want you to be nice to her." Professor Xavier gave me one of his looks before leaving me alone with my breakfast. I decided I wasn't hungry any more. Instead I made my way to the Danger Room. Much to my dismay it was already in use. I went up to the observation deck to check it out. Students weren't allowed to use the room unsupervised and most of us didn't use it except with students or to blow off some serious steam. I was curious as to who was mad enough to be there.

And there she was, dressed in black changing from one animal to the next, sometimes combining them to be able to achieve a higher performance. I noticed her uniform had changed slightly from when she had been a student. Now, instead of loose pant legs, the leather hugged her and disappeared into the calf hugging boots she had been in earlier. The top was the same though, exposing her shoulders and neck, exposing the sweat she was building in her work out.

Her movement was amazing - fluid, but solid and strong. She was graceful in a way I hadn't ever seen another mutant be. I was enthralled with her movements. I wanted to be down there to experience them myself. I wanted to know if she could beat me. The idea of someone besting me - to be honest it kind of turned me on. Even just working with her, to experience her movements first hand, would be amazing to endure

I watched her take out the last of the projected opponents and simulation ended. She stood still, her chest heaving as she caught her breath. I watched her push her bangs out of her eyes and wipe her face with the back of her hand. It was only then that she paused. I knew she was smelling the air. She had caught my scent. Faelan looked up at the observation deck and saw me. After a moment, she left the room and was nowhere to be seen by the time I made it down there.


	3. Chapter 3

Please, read and review. Good or bad I would love to have your comments!

CHAPTER THREE

I finished the simulation. I was going to start another, until I finally took a moment to observe my surroundings. He was there. Logan was there somewhere, I could smell him. I turned my head up, there was only one place he could be - and there he was, in the observation room. There was no telling how long he had been there, how long he had been watching. I stared up at him. I felt several different minds nudging my own and suddenly I realized what was so unique about Logan's smell. I had to get out of there.

I didn't shower in the adjoining locker rooms. Instead, I grabbed my bag and went back to my own living space, to use my own shower, where no one could bother me.

I had been gone six years, and in those six years I had done my best to find what had happened to me when I was younger. I remember turning twelve and discovering my powers, and then I remember waking up at the mansion as a wolf. All I ever knew is that I lost about five weeks of my life to an unknown part of my mind.  
I found out very, very little. But I think the most important thing that I found out was that Xavier knows more than he ever shared with me. And that was my main reason for returning to the mansion. I had to find out what he knew but I had to be careful in my questioning. If Xavier hadn't told me what he knew by now, I knew he wouldn't without being tricked into it.

I stood beneath the hot water, just letting it run through my hair and over my body. And then there was Logan. After my parents abandoned me, and with other kids not wanting to know how much I knew about them, I was use to being alone, to not having anyone even give me the time of day. And I liked it that way. I liked the fact that no one bothered me - things were less complicated that way. Even at Princeton, the only 'friends' I had were really just class acquaintances, with the exception of the frequent one night stands, but those could never be called friends either.

I put my head against the shower wall. I had to pull myself together. I couldn't lose it every time I saw Logan, whether it be through anger and sarcasm or something else. I just couldn't let it happen anymore. If I kept using the Danger Room to that intensity, I was going to kill myself with exhaustion.

I finally turned off the water. Dropping to all fours, I transformed into the wolf to shake myself off and then back to wrap myself in a towel. I dressed back into my skirt and button down and boots to prepare myself for my first class. Xavier had assigned me to teach the college path classes. They had a small number of students, but I would be with them most of the day teaching them several college level subjects.

My classroom was at the back of the building. The room was large and naturally well lit with large windows on either side that thankfully blocked out glare from the sun. It was set up with about ten desks set up in a half circle with a podium in the middle, a long white board behind it. My desk was off to the left and bookshelves lined most of the walls, filled with books on various subjects, most of which I had requested.

I had only been in the room a short time when my students arrived - Bobby, Marie, Kitty, Peter, Jimmy and Warren who was the oldest and one of the school's newer students. I had only ever met Warren before. The others were younger, and had arrived after I had left.

I waited until they were quiet before starting to speak.

"Good morning, I will be your college studies instructor. My name it Professor Faelan -"

"Also called Rafe." I was interrupted by the dark haired girl with a silver streak in the front. She had used my mutant name, and that was one thing that always annoyed me.

"And you are?"

"Rogue." She answered with a smug smile, not to me, but to the boy next to her.

"Also called Marie." I looked her over once, noticing she needed to focus more on her workouts and less on her fashion and social life.

"I prefer Rogue." She glared at me. I stared calmly back into her eyes.

"In this classroom you will be called by your given name until you have proven to have control over your powers." I looked away to the other students.

"I have control over my powers. I'm top of the class." My head slid slowly back around.

"Then why do you still wear gloves?" She had no answer for me so I chose to continue. "In my classes you will seldom be using your powers-"  
"Because you don't know how to use yours." She had whispered it, but I still heard it as if she had spoken normally. I turned to Marie as I dropped down into a crouching position. I released the wolf inside of me and immediately I felt the change. Once I was complete, I leapt for Marie. As she jumped away, I transformed once more into an orange tabby cat and landed lightly on her desk. With one quick glare, I leapt back into the air, and transformed into my Siberian Tiger absorption. Once back in the center of the room I returned to my human form and picked my red shirt up as I stood and pulled it back over the leather top that I always wore.

"Any other comments, Marie?"

"You could have killed me!" She yelled advancing forward.

"I wouldn't have. I have the utmost control over my mind and my powers. If you disagree, feel free to leave." I turned my back to the class and began writing on the board. I heard her pick up her things and then pause.

"Bobby?"

"This isn't my fight. I came here to get college credit."

"But you're supposed to be-"

"That doesn't mean I have to agree with you on everything. And this time, you're the one that's wrong." I could sense her anger directed at both myself and Bobby. And then she left.

"Are there any other questions?" I asked before turning around. Warren had his hand up. "Yes?"

"What exactly are we going to be learning here?" I smiled. Finally someone who was interested in what was actually suppose to happen.

"Anything you want. Mostly we'll be concentrating on the psychology behind what makes a 'bad person' bad, and how to rehabilitate them in a permanent fashion, without killing them. I'll teach you neuropsychology, biology and negotiation tactics. We'll work on physics and some mathematics. We will also be applying psychology to our own powers and practicing them here."  
"You're going to be teaching us all of that?" Peter asked shifting in his desk to become more comfortable. I smiled.

"Yes."

"Why is it important to understand the mind of a bad guy?" Kitty asked.

"Yeah, don't we just have to stop them and make sure they're put away?" Bobby added.

"Those are very good question, and very good points. But let me pose one of my own. What if what we perceive as a bad guy is actually a good guy but under control of a real evil villain? Or is being blackmailed by said evil villain? Or let's take it one step further. What if the bad guy escapes? Without rehabilitation, they will just continue to do as they always have. Our purpose here is not just to protect the world, but to make sure that the villains don't continue. We know when we have done a good job when the world is truly safe from the 'bad guy'." I watched my class ponder this for a few moments and then we proceeded. A few hours later it was lunch time.

"We'll end there for today."  
"Thanks Professor Faelan, " Jimmy said on his way out. "That was fun."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it Jimmy. See you tomorrow." I patted his fully clad shoulder. Jimmy's powers were to drain the powers of any mutant in his vicinity, essentially turn them fully human. He was also a class five mutant. Therefore Xavier had a suit designed especially for him to wear around to classes. It inhibited his body from just freely using his power and gave him a level of control which he would never be able to achieve at his age. He was extremely intelligent and mentally advanced for his age, but that meant nothing to his powers.

"_Join me for lunch Faelan. It seems we have some things to discuss._" So Marie had gone to my supervisor to discuss what had happened in class. I sighed and gathered my things before heading to Xavier's office where lunch had been set up for the two of us. I entered without knocking, knowing he was expecting me. As always, there was a smile on his face. "Thank you for coming straight away. I trust you know what we need to talk about."

"Marie." Xavier nodded and motioned for me to join him at the table.

"Please explain. I feel I only got half of a story out of her, and the rest she had discarded from her mind. I could not reach it."

"At the risk of speaking honestly, Professor, I believe Marie has been pitied and spoiled by the staff here, and thus has formed an ideal of herself that is not true."

"Her powers are connected with very traumatic periods in her life. Because of that she has certain difficulties."

"I understand that, sir, but at the same time because of it we should be pushing her to do better, not coddling her and going easy on her. There are other students here with stronger powers that are younger than she is but no one goes easy on them. Jimmy for God's sake! He doesn't even have to touch people to take their powers away and he's been made to work twice as hard as any other student here to learn to control them. We should be doing the same thing for Marie. That's the only way to ready her for what she'll really be facing in the outside world."

"You have a valid point Faelan. And I think you made quite an impression on her in class today."

"My apologies sir, but the only way I was going to stay in control of that class, to earn and keep their respect was to get her to stop talking, and that was the only way I knew how to do it."

"I wasn't admonishing you; I was commending you on your abilities. Marie insisted you had attacked her, but, knowing you I am certain that you did no such thing. I have faith in your abilities Faelan, and that's why I've decided to give you a second assignment."

"A second assignment?" I asked. This surprised me a bit. I was newly returned to the school in a totally different position than when I had left, and Xavier wanted to give me a second assignment?

"Yes. I've decided it would be advantageous to have you in the Danger Room, with Logan."

"I'm sorry, with Logan?" I stammered. "You can't possibly be serious."

"Oh but I am. I think this will be a wonderful experience to help you two get over the wide rift that exists between the two of you."

"But we'll kill each other!" I objected.

"Please try not to. That wouldn't be psychologically beneficial for the children." I knew this discussion was over without Xavier having to say anything. I sighed, and left, heading back to my room in order to change. This day was just turning out to be wonderful.

Logan was already waiting by the time I got to the Danger Room, dressed in his typical jeans and a tee shirt, with his old leather jacket.

"What are you doing here?" He asked roughly.

"Xavier told me that I would be assisting you."

"I don't need any assistance." He stood and brushed past me to get to the control panel. "I do perfectly fine on my own with these kids." I rolled my eyes and followed him, leaning on the control panel to face him.

"Look, Xavier gave me this assignment. I'm not any happier about it than you are so you should just nut up or shut up."


	4. Chapter 4

Please read and review! I truly value any input I get (plus it tells me if you guys really want this to continue). Thanks!

CHAPTER FOUR

I heard the door open and close. I thought it was one of the students turning up early for class. Then I remembered who my students were and looked up to find her standing in front of me. She was in workout clothes, not the typical for her or for what she was about it do. The shorts, I noticed, were short, reaching only a few inches down her thighs. Her shirt was skin tight and touched the top of her shorts over her nicely sculpted abs. And for the first time since I had known her, she wore sneakers, the laces tucked neatly against her foot.

"What are you doing here?" I meant to sound halfway nice, but epically failed as I heard the roughness in my tone.

"Xavier told me that I would be assisting you."

"I don't need any assistance. I do perfectly fine on my own with these kids." I pushed past her to get to the control panel and started programming today's workout. I heard her sigh and she half stomped up to stand next to me, her scent invading my senses as it always did. I chuckled to myself at her still slightly childish mannerisms when she didn't get her way.

"Look, Xavier gave me this assignment. I'm not any happier about it than you are so you should just nut up or shut up."

"Did you seriously just quote Zombieland?" She took a step back. The light pink color that came to her cheeks was hard to not find amusing.  
"Of course not, it's just something I heard somewhere and thought it fit the situation." I had her caught. Quietly I went back to programming. She stayed where she was, leaning against the control panel with her arms crossed, watching the program shape before her.

"I thought you couldn't wear normal clothes when you morphed."

"They aren't normal clothes. I had our company make me things I could actually wear on a daily basis."  
"I like the leather." I glanced at her and saw her smile, still not looking at me.

"So do I, but it's just not practical for all the time." There were a few more minutes of silence as I finished up the program. "Put a couple higher up, but hidden. Or a few disguised as civilians."

"Good idea, make them use their senses more. Don't know why I didn't think of that." Faelan laughed.

"It's because you're only _part_ animal, Logan."

"As opposed to you? You look mostly human too." The smile faltered a little bit and she glanced at me.

"Looks can be deceiving."

I paused looking at her, trying to form the question in my mind while at the same time trying to figure out what she meant. But nothing came out of my mouth as the students very suddenly arrived. I turned towards them to survey which of my victims I had this afternoon. Next to me, I felt Faelan tense up in an annoyed anger. Marie was in the group, dressed in an X-men uniform. I knew she did this on purpose. I had heard about their little encounter earlier in the day. Marie had shown up at the Danger Room earlier, angry and looking for someone to take her side. When I told her I couldn't, she had stormed off in true adolescent fashion to look for someone else.

"Marie, go change." Marie glared at me.

"You know that isn't my name."  
"It is until you can grow up. Now go change and don't come back until you are dressed appropriately." She glared at me still.

"You're just trying to show off for _her_." She motioned at Faelan with her head. "Looks like your just following your pecker again, Logan." It took all my nerve to not unleash my claws. Before I could advance, Faelan had moved.

"I think you feel threatened, Marie." She sniffed the air. I knew that was just for show. "In fact, I know you do. Well let me tell you something special, little one - you should feel threatened. I know all your little secrets, those things you don't tell anyone. Those things you keep hidden deep in your mind, away from the professor." Faelan leaned in closer and whispered. I know none of the other students could hear her, but I did. "But know this - I will never hurt you, and I will never out you because I know what it's like to be in your shoes. Alone, with so many others scared of you, of not being in full control. Oh yes, child, I know what that's like more than anyone you will ever meet. And maybe, if you choose to listen at some point, you might just learn a thing or two about yourself."

I was impressed, Faelan had circled Marie like a wolf on the prowl and you could see the discomfort in Marie's eyes. Without a word, Marie slunk back into the locker room to change. A few minutes later she returned in her usual long shorts, long sleeve shirt and gloves. I hid my smile as the simulation began.

As per standard procedure, Faelan and I ran the course first. Having never worked with her, I was amazed at how we were able to anticipate each other's moves. She was just as graceful up close as I had seen her earlier that day. It seemed as though she never tired, with each new transformation it was if her energy was renewed. I noticed she favored the wolf most, slipping as easily into that form as she did her natural human. But the one I was most amazed with was when she sprouted hawk's wings, in a ten foot wingspan, from her shoulder blades, keeping her arms and hands natural, to take down the last image on the top of a building. When she landed, I couldn't help but stare at her in awe with the rest of the class as she folded the wings and allowed them to be absorbed back into her body.

"The point of this class is to get you to find new and innovative ways to use your powers. The beauty of the danger room program is that we can set up real world situations, even twist those situations, to make you think quickly. Practicing your quick thinking will prepare you for when you find yourself on a real battle field." She was good at this.

"You watched us run this program. It took five minutes and thirty seconds. Do you think between the six of you, you can beat that?" I asked.

"Um…" Bobby glanced around at his fellow students - Marie, Warren, Kitty, Peter, and Jimmy. "I'm going to say no."

"No is not an option, Robert." Faelan said with a sly smile. "The least I want to hear you say is that you'll try." She stepped aside. "Go."

We watched the students run the course. They were sloppy after a summer off and I could tell Faelan was getting frustrated with it all. I was too. Although they were still kids, this particular group was the oldest of the students. They were the next in line to join the X-men team. This was unacceptable. After two hours of this, I called the students together and shut off the program.

"You guys are out of shape and out of practice. What have you been doing all summer?" I was harsh and I knew it. It surprisingly was Peter who spoke up.

"We were doing kid stuff, because that's what we are." I took a step back, stunned at his unusual outburst. It was Faelan who spoke up.

"You may still be young, but you can no longer be called children." She wasn't just talking to Peter; she was talking to all six of them. "You haven't been children since your powers were manifested. You have a destiny that you had no choice in and yes, it sucks, but you have to deal with it. Deal with it, or find a way to give up your powers. But if you're going to stay in this world, there is no time off, there is no more being a kid."

The students were silent even after she finished talking. She surveyed them all. I knew what she was thinking. I had been considering it as well as I watched the students run the course again and again. I stepped up.

"Starting today each of you will be participating in daily workouts."

"But we already work out in here!" Kitty whined. She was sitting on the floor, still trying to catch her breath.

"It will be in addition to what you do in here. They will take place in the gym and Faelan and I will be supervising each of your work outs."  
"I can promise you all this," Faelan chimed in. "It will be the hardest two hours in your day. You will be lifting, running, swimming, everything and anything to whip your butts into the best shape possible." No one had anything to say to either of us.  
"Go grab water and something protein and meet us in the gym in an hour." We watched in silence as the students left for the locker rooms. "They're going to hate us."

"I'm sure some of them already do." Faelan sighed. "I guess we better see what we have to work with down there. Meet you in a half hour?" I agreed and headed for my own quarters for a change of clothes and a break.

I've never worked with another person so well. From running the course to just working with our students, I've never been able to do so much while saying so little. I've never felt close to anyone in my recent life, until this week. I smiled at the memory of the civil moments we shared. I also chuckled at the way Faelan had scared the crap out of Marie. That one fully impressed me.

I pulled a pair of lightweight sweatpants and a white wife-beater on. I was tying my sneakers when a knock sounded on my door.

"Yeah, come in!" I called. The door opened slowly, and really only a little as Marie slipped through and closed it tightly behind her. I stood up. "Hey, you know you aren't allowed in here." She gave me a sly smile. She was up to something.

"Really? That's not what you said last year." She advanced towards me, but I put my hands up to stop her.

"I was shit-faced drunk and you took advantage of it. I told you then that it was never going to happen again. You need to get out and go get ready for the gym." I carefully turned her around and was pushing her towards the door. She twisted and put a gloved hand against my chest.

"You know you enjoyed it, Logan. You know you want it again."

"No, I don't. I made that perfectly clear, many times. You need to leave." I had finally gotten her to the door. I opened it and glanced each way before pushing Marie out. "Don't come here again. I won't have it." As she walked away, I heard Marie mumble something I couldn't understand. I just closed my door and leaned back against it thinking about what happened last year.

I had a friend from town die very suddenly and I don't take death very well. My way of handling it was to go and get as drunk as I possibly could. Unfortunately it was Marie who had found me in the bar and brought me back to the mansion. Things just went downhill from there and I woke up the next morning to find us both completely naked in my bed. I thought I had made it clear that morning that it would never happen again, but with the reappearance of Faelan, Marie had gone off the deep end.

I shook my head free of the extra thoughts and grabbed my track jacket to head to the gym. I still had two more hours to get through before I could rid myself of everyone else for the night.

The only other person in the gym when I got there was Faelan running on the treadmill, headphones stuck in her ears. The music was up loud, but she knew I was there because she glanced up at me when I entered.

"You smell like her." Faelan said, pulled an earbud out to talk to me. "That was what I couldn't place before, but now it's heavier."

"It's not what you think." I grumbled, starting to lift weights onto a bar.

"Probably not, but it's still there. And it explains why she's so protective of you, why she hates me so much."

"She thinks it's something more than it was."  
"What was it?"

"Me getting drunk and then being taken advantage of." Faelan didn't look at me, but kept running. I watched her for a few moments, noticing that her hair kept changing from her usual peppered color to brown to red to black and back. It was like she was in another world and a small part of her powers were uncontrolled. It was mesmerizing to me. After another few minutes she stopped and climbed off, grabbing a towel to wipe at the sweat that had built.

"The students should be here soon."

"Oh great, exactly what I want - more time with the students." She glanced at me, catching the sarcasm in my voice, and maybe a hint of something else that I didn't want displayed. Whatever it was she was about to make my life a bit easier. As soon as the group of students arrived, she pulled Kitty, Marie and Jimmy to the other side of the gym to work with, leaving Peter, Bobby and Warren with me.


	5. Chapter 5

Thank you so much for your reviews! They help me so much in continuing the story. Things will be getting quite interesting in the next few chapters. I hope you enjoy!  
~Mags

CHAPTER FIVE

I had finally figured it out. That unique scent on Logan, the one I just couldn't place, that was Marie. I had picked up her scent when I was threatening her in the Danger Room, and when Logan entered the gym afterward I just knew. There was something up with the two of them. It didn't take long for Logan to tell me what it was and I understood but a part of me didn't like it.

He was probably Marie's first, and she probably thought that she would have him to herself one day. And even though I had no interest in him, she felt threatened by me. Yes, I trusted Logan when he said it was never going to happen again. He was a teacher, and had probably spoken to Xavier about it. If Xavier trusted Logan, there was no reason I shouldn't. Besides, it wasn't as if it was any of my business. I climbed off the treadmill when I heard people approaching the room.

"The students should be here soon."

"Oh great, exactly what I want - more time with the students." There was more than just sarcasm in Logan's voice. It was uneasiness, a deep set want to avoid what was coming. I think it was then that I finally realized why Marie's scent was so powerful on him. She had gone to see him during the break and he had turned her away. The workout time was not about to be pleasant for him. As soon as the students entered the room, I moved quickly.

"Kitty, Jimmy and Marie, with you're me. The other three, you work with Logan." I took my three to the other side of the room. I could sense the relief coming from Logan as he realized what I had done.

Today we went easy on them - light jogging on the treadmills, light weights, and toning exercises. We assigned a swim for after dinner tonight - a full 500 yards. Even with such a light workout, the students were dragging themselves to dinner. They were tired and it showed.

"That's not a good sign." I sighed. "They have no stamina at all. We're really going to have work on cardio with them."

"Rule number one: cardio." Logan flashed a smile at my stunned look.

"You've actually seen Zombieland?"  
"Of course, me miss a zombie movie? Yeah right." Logan started putting weights away. I laughed and helped him with the equipment. After a few moments of silence I spoke again.

"I'm sorry if I sounded like I was accusing you earlier. I tend to make subconscious judgments which manifest themselves in my attitude and vocal structure." Logan shrugged. "I mean, Xavier trusts you, and that's all that should matter."

"I went to him the morning after it happened, as soon as I had realized it all. I told him exactly what I remembered; he searched my mind for the rest. I was ready to resign at that moment, but he chose to keep me on."

"He trusts you to do the right thing."

"I know, and I won't let him down again." Logan was resolute; I could see it in his eyes. We left the gym together, but when he turned to go to the dining room I didn't follow. "Aren't you going to eat?"

"Not just yet, maybe later, after the swim." I started to walk again.

"Make sure you eat something before then, you'll need energy to carry you through that." I stopped and turned to face him. I was sure he was just trying to be nice.

"I'll be fine thanks." I smiled slightly and left him there. I had been around people for far too long today and I needed some time to myself.

I had thought I would jump in the shower, but I didn't. Instead I dropped down onto my bed and in no time I was asleep.

And then I was running through the woods. There was movement and smell from my left; I looked to find a much larger, black male wolf with yellow eyes, running there beside me. He looked over at me and smiled. 'Mate' was what my mind told me. 'Safety'. We continued to run in the moonlight until morning. He nuzzled the side of my head and then left me. I turned to find the mansion looming behind me. 'Home'. No, this wasn't home; this was just one more temporary residence. My true home was in the woods, but I couldn't be there just yet.

"_Faelan?_" The professor's voice was in my head. "_You should get dressed, there's someone here to see you._" I opened my eyes. It was dark out and I knew it was late, but I pulled sweats and a track jacket over my shorts and shirt and made my way out to the entrance hall. I found Logan there; claws extended staring at a man dressed in a gray tweed suit. The overwhelming scent of metal invaded my senses and I knew who the man was.

"I'm not here to see _you_ Logan. I'm here to see my beautiful granddaughter."

"Granddaughter?" He asked. "Someone like you has a granddaughter?" I rounded the corner to see the old crinkled face and gray hair of my grandfather, commonly known as Magneto.

"Grandpa!" I cried, running down the last few steps and into his arms. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming?'

"I thought I would make it a surprise, but I think I set off an alarm or two in this one" He motioned at Logan who looked thoroughly confused.

"Grandpa?" He questioned. I just waved him off.

"He just looks scary, he's fine." I took Magneto by the arm. "Come in; let's go get some tea in the kitchen." We started to walk but had only taken a few steps when Xavier appeared.

"Eric." He greeted, extending his hand.

"Charles." My grandfather shook it. "Thank you for inviting me to see my darling little girl."

"Just remember our agreement, Eric."

"Like I would do anything to put Faelan in harm's way. No, you don't have to worry about me tonight."

"Darling little girl?" Logan was still confused. "Didn't he try to kill me two months ago? And now we're welcoming him into the mansion?" Magneto calmly turned towards Logan.

"Just because I don't like _you_ doesn't mean I'm a completely terrible person." I had to laugh at the stunned and slightly hurt look on Logan's face.

"Grandpa, be nice to him, his feelings get hurt easily."

"Alright my dear, whatever you say." He patted my hand and we proceeded to the kitchen. We spent most of the night talking and catching up. Of all the people in my life, my grandfather was the only one I could ever remember staying by my side.

"Are you happy here? Is this where you want to be?"  
"I guess I am. It's a place to live, but it doesn't really feel like home, although now that I think about it, home never really felt that way either."

"It's because you were never really meant to live in such close quarters, my dear."

"What do you mean?"

"Did your parents ever tell you about the day you were conceived? Or how you were born?" I thought hard for a moment and then shook my head.

"I don't think I ever thought to ask. I assumed it was done the ordinary way."

"Oh there was never anything ordinary about you, child. The day before your mother found out she was pregnant she was 'attacked' by a wolf." He had used his hands as quotations around the word attacked.

"What does that mean?"

"It's what she claimed happened, but I was there. The animal simply nuzzled her stomach and scampered off. But its sudden appearance scared your mother half to death. You know how she was with animals." I half smirked - I knew alright. "Well after that the pregnancy went fairly normally. Until the day you were born that is. You were five weeks early and your mother was in labor for a day and a half only to have you come out as a wolf pup." I stared at my grandfather for a moment.

"A wol- A what?"

"You heard me correctly. A wolf pup and I'm not being metaphorical. I mean literally, a furry, long nosed wolf pup. In the first week you were alive you remained as a furry little thing, and several times you tried to transform into a human baby and then about the eighth day, you finally figured it out. The nurses and I took turns feeding you. Your mother wouldn't go near you until you stayed in human form around her. But around me, you always took that first wolf look.

"Well, your parents wouldn't have that and you were much too young to be given an anti-mutation drug, so they banned me from seeing you, just so that you wouldn't transform any more. And after a few weeks of disuse, your powers faded into the background of your mind."

"But I remember my first absorption. I was twelve when my powers manifested."

"Not manifested, my dear, reawakened. If you don't remember, I had been introduced back into your life just a week previous to that. As far as I can tell, that nudged a deep set memory. You didn't absorb anything. Your meeting with that wolf in the wood awoke that part of your mind again. You've always had your powers, you just didn't know it. Every time you find another animal, another part of your mind and powers reawaken."

"But the mutant gene is dominant and my parents weren't carriers, neither of them. They prided themselves on that fact. They hated mutants."

"So how did you come to be?" I nodded. "That I don't have an answer for, and probably never will. But I am glad that you are as you are. I would have loved you no matter how you came out." I smiled and hugged my grandfather, glad that he was there. "Now I am sorry, my dear, but I have to be going."

"So soon?" I glanced at my watch. It was four in the morning. "Oh, I guess it is kind of late." He laughed.

"Charles has allowed me to visit every so often. Next time I'll try to give you a little more of a warning." He kissed my forehead. "Be well, darling. I'll see you soon." He left me alone in the kitchen as he showed himself out. I sat for a few more minutes thinking over all that he had told me.

Finding no more answers, I dropped our mugs into the sink and headed back to my quarters for a few hours sleep. Tomorrow was a new day and I had students to educate. I tried to shake the images and questions from my mind, but even in my few hours sleep they plagued me in my dreams. The worse of them was that of my parents dropping me off on the side of the road, and leaving.

"Faelan," The voice seemed far away, but it was insistent. "Faelan!" The yell brought me back reality and my eyes shot open, but they weren't my eyes, they were the gray scale eyes of the wolf. Logan sat at the edge of my bed, his hand between my shoulders, his fingers buried in my thick fur. 'Faelan, are you in there?"

"_Yes, I'm here._" He looked shocked that he could hear my voice.

"You were crying, whimpering, in your sleep. I thought something was wrong."

"_You heard me?_"

"My quarters are next to yours. I think our beds may be back to back with each other." He paused, looking at me. "Are you alright?" I laid my head down on my paws. My parents leaving me was indeed the saddest part of my life. I had no doubt that I was probably whimpering quite loudly. I felt Logan's hand slide under my chin and he lifted my head until I would look into his eyes. "Are you alright?"

I don't really know what made me do it, but I crawled into Logan's lap. I laid my wolf's head against his chest. I think I surprised him by my actions because it took a few seconds before I felt his arms go around my body.


	6. Chapter 6

I realized after publishing that I had made changes to it and didn't fix it here, so I had to make that mistake right.  
Thanks for the reviews, I look forward to seeing more! Again I only own Faelan the rest is the property of Marvel.  
Enjoy ~Mags

CHAPTER SIX

When I first heard the whimpering, I thought it was coming from an animal outside. It was about five o'clock in the morning, right around the time when most of the woods animals prowled. It took me a few minutes, and for it to get louder for me to realize that it was coming from the next room. Faelan's room.

I threw back the covers and walked quietly down to her door. The whimpering was definitely coming from her room. She must have been having a nightmare. I knocked lightly, but there was no change from inside so I let myself in. It was her alright, tossing and turning above the sheets. But it wasn't Faelan, not technically. She was in her wolf form - hence the whimpering. The only thing to do was to wake her up and pray she didn't just attack me.

I shook her shoulder lightly. "Faelan," I coaxed. No change. "Faelan!" I called a little louder, shaking a little more. Her eyes popped open and I stopped moving until she know who I was. "Are you in there?"

"_I'm here._" Her voice echoed inside my head in a fairly pleasant way.

"You were crying, whimpering, in your sleep. I thought something was wrong."

"_You heard me?_"

"My quarters are next to yours. I think our beds may be back to back with each other. Are you alright?" She didn't say anything for a while, but put her head down on her paws in a depressed and dejected sort of way. I slid my hand under her head and lifted until she was looking in my eyes. "Are you alright?" I asked again. The look in her eyes was so incredibly sad that I found it hard not to pull her onto my lap right then. But it was like she was reading my mind because the next instant Faelan had gently crawled onto me, pressing her head against my chest. I was shocked at first at this sudden vulnerability she was showing. Relaxing, I wrapped her small, fur covered body in my arms and held her.

After about five minutes or so I felt Faelan's body begin to change. The fur receded, her nose shrank back into her face and her body elongated back into her thin human form. She was still wearing the shorts and shirt from earlier.

I held her in my lap until her breathing changed to tell me she was asleep. It was only then that I moved. I picked her up and held her against me as I pulled her blankets back, then I gently put her down and covered her. She looked so peaceful now. Her face was relaxed, her hair was soft around her. It reminded me of the day I had first met her. I wish I could have known her longer before she left so many years ago. One thing I knew for sure was that the world had changed her, both before she came to the mansion and when she left the last time. I knew this because it had happened to me.

People weren't so nice out there. It didn't matter if you were normal or a mutant, it didn't matter if they know about your powers or not, they were just plain mean. There wasn't one place I had been where I found a nice person. Except for at the mansion, and by the time I got there, I was already tainted.

I quietly left Faelan's room. I couldn't go back to sleep at that point so I roamed the mansion. I had chased a few students back to bed when I entered the kitchen to find Warren eating a pint of cookies and cream ice cream.

"That better not be the last one."

"You're in luck, there's one more." I pulled it out and grabbed a spoon, sitting across from him.

"What's your story? Why are you up?" Warren glanced up at me, spoon halfway to his mouth. He took his bite before speaking.

"My name isn't Angel just because I fly. When something's amiss, I can't sleep."

"So do something about it."

"Can't. Angels don't interfere - they guide." Warren stared at me. "I know you woke her from the nightmare."

"Is that a crime now? I know what they can be like, so I did the kid a favor."

"That's a lie."

"Now listen here Fly-boy-"

"You can't fool me, Logan. And don't think you can fool her, either." He was shaking his spoon at me. "You need to stop this tough guy bull shit and be a real man."

"I thought angels didn't curse." Warren shrugged.

"I have my moments. But don't think about that, worry about the other stuff I said."

"The being a man crap?"

"Instead of being _a_ man, how about being _the_ man the three of us know is in there. She needs that, Logan." Warren dropped his spoon and empty container in the sink.

"Aren't you going to throw that out?"  
"Nope, Bobby likes to practice his powers by making the ice cream." That was it for Warren, he left the kitchen. I sat in silence, staring at my ice cream. I suddenly wasn't very hungry any more.

On my way back to my room I stopped by Faelan's door to listen. It was quiet inside, she was sleeping peacefully now. I hoped I would be that lucky.

It took me less than half an hour to fall back to sleep. And it wasn't nightmares that plagued my sleep. Instead it was the feeling of having Faelan in my arms. The feeling of having her sleeping next to me, fighting beside me and returning to my arms after she had been gone. It was a wonderful feeling to have, something I hadn't experienced in a very long time. It was special.

I awoke the next morning with a smile and a good feeling, but that good feeling soon disappeared when I realized that none of it would ever come true. That it was just a hopeless dream. Faelan just about hated me, she closed herself off from everyone that tried to get close to her. She was impenetrable.

I must have looked pretty pathetic staring into my cereal at breakfast because Scott came over to sit with me.

"What has you so down in the dumps?"

"Nothing."

"Yeah right. What's wrong?"  
"Just a small realization."

"That you can never have her?" Scott motioned his head towards Faelan. I hated that he was so perceptive at times.

"Yeah, something like that." I dropped my spoon into my bowl and pushed it away.

"Well, If I were you, I wouldn't worry about it. You don't deserve her anyways."

"Thank you, that's so nice of you."

"Yep, just doing what I can." He flashed me a smile and jumped up to go kiss Jean. Way to rub it in One Eye. At that point I just left the dining room. I couldn't take it anymore - Scott and Jean, Marie and Bobby, Kitty and Peter - it was just too much gush for me.

I wondered the halls and finally found myself at the Danger Room. Thankfully it was empty this time. I set the program to random Code Red. As the situation popped up I threw my jacket into a corner, extended my claws and went to town.

Code red was the highest danger level you could go to. The biggest danger was the way it messed with your head. It programmed mutant against mutant, and sometimes those other mutants were your friends turned enemies. It was the most realistic of all the program levels and was to be done alone. Most of the time the participant was declared dead and unable to finish the program. I on the other hand, thrived at this level. This was where I could really let my anger lose and just go at it.

As I fought I thought about all the people I had ever felt close to. All those people had died because of me. Had suffered because of me. That's one of the reasons I came here and even then certain government officials were going to all lengths to get to me, putting the kids of the mansion in harms way. Xavier kept convincing me to stay, saying that I was still safer here than out there, and that the kids would be fine but some days I wasn't so convinced.

I think Scott was wrong about me not deserving her but I was pretty sure getting close to her would get her killed, and that would be something I would never be able to live with. So I just couldn't, plain and simple. Not that Faelan would ever want me anyway. She couldn't stand me, thought me to be a pedophile or something. I know she said contrary, but there was something in her voice that day. And holding her last night; I was probably over thinking the entire thing, but the way she climbed into my lap… who am I fooling, she was just upset after her dream and probably still half in the wolf's mind. She was just looking for comfort.

My hands and claws slashed at the forms in front of me. I didn't even notice the hits I was taking, I didn't care. If the program said I died, part of me really wanted to. I had just realized that I would never be able to be happy. That I was stuck, right where I was, as I was, for the rest of my life.

The program suddenly ended and the images in front of me melted to reveal Faelan standing at the control panel. She looked worried. That's when I felt the pain of my actions.

"What in the…" I looked down at the slashes in my arms and torso. I was losing a lot of blood and not heeling fast enough. I dropped to my knees, my claws receding into my hands. "What…?" Faelan had run over to me, catching my head as I hit the floor.

"Shh, quiet, help is coming. You're going to be okay." She whispered, pushing my hair away from my eyes. She turned to look at the door. "Dr. Hank! In here!" The last I thing I remember seeing was her tear filled eyes and a furry blue hand.


	7. Chapter 7

Hey all, it's great to see the emails where you have added me to your alerts and to see all the reviews. Keep it up!  
Sorry for the delay in this chapter, life has been crazy and I haven't had time to post, plus I"m kinda stuck at Chapter 13 so that's taking up a lot of time too.  
Enjoy this chapter!  
~Mags

I woke up that morning and quickly decided I didn't want to get dressed up. Instead, I reached for a pair of jeans and a nice black top that slide nicely off of one shoulder. I had seen how the other instructors were dressed and realized I didn't have to overdo it every day.

I had gone down to breakfast hoping to be able to talk to Logan, but between students and Storm, I never made it over to him. By the time I was free, he had left. I had a feeling him leaving suddenly had something to do with Scott. I had seen them talking and Logan didn't look at all happy about the conversation.

So I went to the only place I knew he would be - the Danger Room.

The light above the door was flashing red. It meant a Code Red program was being run. No one else was allowed to enter through this door. I ran up to the observation deck and that's when I found Logan.

He was running through the program haphazardly. His actions were nothing like the strong, solid strikes I had witnessed the day before. These were wild and chaotic. He had no focus whatsoever and it was showing as he was hit over and over by the images attacking him. But it wasn't just the images the were attacking him. That was real blood forming on his arms and under his shirt. Something wasn't right, Logan was hitting himself with his claws.

I ran down the stairs and through the door to the Danger Room. He was on the side opposite from the control panel and that's what I was making a beeline for. I had to shut down the program, to get him to stop. Logan wasn't heeling fast enough to keep up with his movements. I slammed my hand down on the emergency stop and instantly the images surrounding him disappeared. I knew that alarms would be going off in the infirmary and that someone would come running to see what had happened.

He turned towards me, breathing hard, anger still evident in his eyes and on his scent. Suddenly he looked down at himself.

"What in the…" I could see the blood beginning to drip down onto the floor and I started for him. He dropped to his knees before I could reach him. I ran to catch his head before it hit the steel of the Danger Room floor. "What…?"

"Shh, quiet." I whispered. "Help is on the way. You're going to be okay." Logan's eyes were starting to close. I looked to the door. I knew Dr. Hank was coming, I could smell him. "_Please hurry!_" A few moments later he slid past the door. "Dr. Hank! In here!" I yelled. He bolted in, sliding on his knees to Logan's side.

"What happened?"

"I don't know. He was running a Code Red program. I was upstairs watching when I saw the blood."

"We have to get him into the infirmary. I have to examine him properly." Dr. Hank slid his hands underneath Logan's body and lifted. "Get the doors." I ran ahead of him, taking the fastest way back.

In the infirmary, Dr. Hank laid Logan's body on the closest bed and then turned to me.

"Jean won't come near him. I need your assistance to examine him." I nodded. "Do you remember what to do?" I nodded again. I wasn't a stranger to this part of the mansion. Not that I ever really got hurt, but something about the medical industry fascinated me and I spent a large amount of time here as a student aid.

I went to the closet and found sterile scrubs to which I changed into. A mask went over my face, my hair tied up and put under a surgical cap and latex-free gloves covered my hands. I exited as Dr. Hank came out of another closet, dressed the same way. I started collecting documents for notes on Logan's condition as he began to gather equipment that he would be needing.

The examination took a little less than an hour to complete. Dr. Hank carefully wrapped each of Logan's wounds in pressure bandages.

"What's the diagnosis, Doctor?"

"I don't know what's slowing his healing power but the bleeding is under control so I think he'll pull through."

"Can't we stitch him?"  
"Unfortunately if we do his body and the adamantium will react adversely and destroy his skin." Dr. Hank wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Can you sit here for a while? I need to know when he wakes up."

"Of course." I waited until he had left the room before I sat down on the edge of Logan's bed. If he woke up and saw me as a human, I knew he would panic and hurt himself much more than he already was. I glanced towards the door. Dr. Hank had apparently gone back to his own quarters to change and rest. I pulled off the scrubs to reveal a pair of short shorts and a sports bra. I didn't even have to concentrate much to change into my wolf form. Gently I jumped up onto the bed and laid next to his body, placing my head carefully on his chest. His breathing was light, but rhythmic.

I reached my wolf's mind out to his and found a dimness there, a soft fogginess. He was lost inside there and the only way he was going to wake up was if he found his way out. I wanted to be there to guide him when the fog began to lift.

I don't know how long I had been laying there next to him when Dr. Hank came back in. I didn't even lift my head as we stared at each other. Then with a small nod to me he continued about his business, walking in and out of the infirmary.

"_Faelan, shall I take your classes over for you today?_" Xavier's voice sounded inside my own.

"_I can't leave his side, Professor. He needs me._"

"_Stay with him, Faelan. Bring him home._"

It was a few hours later and I had fallen asleep next to Logan. I was dreaming of the woods again, with the black wolf beside me. I ran ahead, playing in the falling leaves and changing shadows. When I looked back, the black wolf had disappeared, and in his place stood Logan, a smile on his lips and his eyes bright. I walked back to him and transformed into a human shape. He put his arms around me and leaned down to gently kiss my lips. He pulled back a tiny bit and whispered.

"Time to wake up Faelan."

My eyes shot wide open. I was back in a human form, laying cuddled up to Logan. His breathing had changed, it was deeper but still rhythmic. My head shot up to inspect his arm and chest. The blood from the bandages was gone. I turned to look at him. His eyes were open and there was a small smile on his face as he gazed at me.

"How long have you been awake?" I asked, sitting up properly. "How long have I been asleep?"

"He's been awake about five minutes." Dr. Hank said, reappearing with some of his basic equipment. "You on the other hand, have been asleep for the better part of two hours."

"Why didn't you wake me? Or move me? I could have hurt him." I protested, finally standing up to allow Dr. Hank to access Logan.

"I wasn't going to mess with a wolf and when you fell asleep he told me not to."

"You know I can speak for myself." Logan's rough voice sounded, sending my heart bounding.

"I thought you said he only woke up five minutes ago."

"He did, but his mind reached me long before that. It was as if as soon as you feel asleep he started healing again."

"That doesn't make sense."

"Sure it does." Logan interjected, sitting up in his bed. "Once you relaxed, some of your own special healing transferred to me. It boosted my power to work in the right way."

"Special healing?" I asked, not quite sure what he was talking about. Dr. Hank glanced at me and then looked at Logan.

"You'll be fine, I believe. Just no more Code Reds for a while, ok?" Logan nodded and shook the doctor's hand and Dr. Hank left the room, closing the door tightly behind him.

"What's going on? What are you talking about?" Logan gazed at me before taking a deep breath.

"You have a type of healing power, different from my own, but when the two are combined they boost the other's potential. According to Xavier, it's something very rare."

"Xavier had a comment about this? Were you talking to him too?"

"Actually he heard me talking with Hank and decided to join in. You were asleep, otherwise I would have invited you too." He smiled at me again. "Have a nice dream?" I scowled.

"I suppose you had something to do with that?"  
"No, not at all, I was simply eavesdropping. I liked what I saw." I turned and grabbed the scrubs I had discarded earlier and pulled the pants back on.

"Well it's the only place you're ever going to see that." I turned to reprimand him some more, not realizing that he had stood up and was now behind me. When I turned I was as face to face with him as I could be (more like face to collar bone). I slowly raised my eyes to his face.

"I could be wrong here, but there's something in your scent, in you, that tells me that's not true." As he spoke, his hands went around my waist and he pulled me closer. He slowly leaned down and was inches from kissing me when the door opened forcefully.

I jumped away from Logan and turned to the door only to find Marie standing there, a look of absolute murder on her face and it was directed at me.

"Marie -"

"You couldn't just let him go, could you?" She snarled advancing on me. I saw her one hand reach for her glove. Before she had a chance to pull it off, I had sprouted a thick fur covering over my entire body so that when she finally touched me, she couldn't do any harm.

"Marie you need to calm down. You obviously think that there is something more between you and Logan than there actually is."  
"Why should you have everything I want? You always ruin everything!" This time she yelled and swung at me. I felt Logan advance behind me but after dodging her swing I put a hand out to stop him.

"You'll get hurt again. I can handle her." Surprisingly Logan backed away and I turned to Marie. "This isn't a way to handle a conflict Marie, you're only going to get hurt in the end." Marie responded with a scream and ran at me.

I dropped to the floor changing back into my wolf form and waited for her to stumble over me before turning to face her.

"_Marie, don't do it._" I called to her. She didn't even act like she had heard me and instead lunged at me again. I jumped away at the last second, allowing her to land on the floor in a heap.

"Get back here you little bitch!" She screamed. "You want to be an Xman than fight like it and die!"

"_I don't want to hurt you Marie._" She grabbed the scruff of my neck suddenly and pulled. With a yelp I lost control of the wolf's mind. I felt my head swing around, pulling the rest of my body free, and then I tasted blood. I had Marie's wrist in my mouth. I loosened my grip just a little and called out to Hank and Xavier.

"_I didn't mean to! Please help, I didn't mean to!_"  
"_Just hold her Faelan, we're almost there._" Xavier's voice sounded in my head and an instant later the two rounded the corner into the infirmary. Dr. Hank took hold of Marie and I released my grip. The child wasn't even crying, but staring daggers at me. Knowing Dr. Hank had her in control, I transformed back into my human self and grabbed towels to start cleaning the blood from my mouth and face.

"Honestly, Professor, I didn't mean to. She went after me and I suddenly lost control of the wolf -"  
"Faelan, it's alright. I know what happened. I knew the minute Marie appeared in the room. I was watching the entire thing on my way down here."

I felt a hand taking the towel from mine. It was Logan.

"Come on, let's get you cleaned up. You have blood all over you." I looked down and realized he was right. The blood had spattered down onto my chest and sports bra, and was all over my hands. Xavier nodded our dismissal and turned to where Dr. Hank had sedated Marie.

Logan threw a bigger towel over my shoulders to cover myself and led me up to where our quarters were. I thought he was just going to drop me off at my own room and continue to his, but much to my surprise he followed me in. As I searched for clean clothes, Logan ran a hot bath for me, dropping in a few drips of the lavender water perfume I kept on the side.

When I appeared in the doorway, he stepped aside. "Take your time. I'll wait in your quarters for you." He stepped outside and gently closed the door securely behind him.

I was grateful for his choice of a bath rather than a shower. The lavender scent was relaxing, the hot water soothed my nerves for a bit and washed away the blood perfectly. I rested my head back against the edge of the tub for a while, breathing slowly and deeply.

Finally I stepped out and dried myself off. I pulled on a clean pair of shorts and an old pair of baggy sweat pants. Over that I pulled on a simple white, form fitting guinea tee. When I left the bathroom, Logan was sitting on my couch. He had put on a new tee shirt and a clean pair of jeans. He was reading one of my psychology books. When he heard the door open all the way he looked up and put the book down.

"How are you feeling?" He asked quietly.

"I never meant to hurt her Logan." I said. I tried to will the tears away but I could already feel them welling up in my eyes. Logan saw it and he immediately stood and walked over to me. He wrapped his arms around me in one of the softest, most protective hugs I had ever seen or felt. "She's only a student, I should have been more careful."

"You did the best you could, Faelan. You did better than I would have. If it had been me, Doc would have had to stitch up a lot more than just a bite mark." I laughed a little at this and Logan let his hands drop to my arms. "How about some dinner in here tonight? I'll call the kitchen and have them send something up?" I nodded and as Logan went to use my phone, I went to the couch to sit where he had been.

The spot was still warm and was drenched in his scent. One thing I noticed was that his unique smell had changed slightly. There was no more remnants of Marie, it was entirely different. I lavished in the smell as I sat there waiting for him. When he returned to the room I picked up the book he had been reading.

"My Lobotomy." I mused. "That's a very good one. Howard Dully expresses himself very well in his descriptions of his behavior."

"I'm getting that, I just don't entirely understand what he's talking when he gets into the technical terms." I laughed.

"If you want, I can help you with all that. I know a thing or two about the brain." Logan smiled.

"Maybe another night. Tonight is just for relaxing." I smiled back. This was a side of Logan I had never seen. A soft, gentle, caring, intelligent side that he very often hid from the rest of the world. We sat in a comfortable silence until the knock on the door that signaled the arrival of the food. Logan went and received it from a very confused looking young man who didn't ask questions.

"So what's on the menu for tonight?"

"Looks like some ziti with red gravy."  
"Red gravy?"

"Tomato sauce? Sorry, differentiation of terms." I chuckled.

"It's alright, I just hadn't heard it referred to as gravy in a long time. It caught me off guard." Logan served us both and after a few bites began the conversation I knew he was waiting to have.

"So what did you do in those years you were gone?" I swallowed a bite of pasta.

"School mostly. Had a few odd jobs but nothing permanent."

"Yeah, but you had to have done something other than school." He paused and gazed at me. "I know the smell of Princeton. You smell of other places besides there." He was more perceptive than I thought and now I was caught. I could either tell him the truth or turn his attentions to another topic, but for some reason I knew I he was intent on knowing. I took a deep breath.

"I only spent four years at Princeton. The first year, I went and found my grandfather. Magneto as you know him. He directed me as to where I could find my parents, which I did." I stopped.

"How did that go?"

"To put it gently, horribly. I showed up with my peppered hair and gold eyes and they panicked. So I changed them both back to brown and tried again. They asked if I had finally given up the freak's existence. When I said no, they banished me from their house, told me to never return. They told me that I wasn't any daughter of theirs. After that I wandered for a bit, then went to Princeton and got my undergraduate degree."

"Then you took a year off before your masters."

"Right. I spent some more time with my grandfather, trying to learn what I could about my past, but he couldn't give me any answers to my black-out period. So I went looking for them."

"What did you find out?"

"Not enough." This time I was purposefully being vague. I wasn't ready to discuss that part of my life yet. Logan got the point. We had finished eating and Logan stacked the plates together.

"I should let you get some rest. I'll take these to the kitchen." He stood and I walked him to the door.

"Thank you Logan, for everything tonight."

"It's the least I could do after what you did for me earlier." He smiled, leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on my cheek.  
"Good night Faelan."

"Good night Logan."


	8. Chapter 8

All I could experience for a long time was a thick fog that kept everything blocked out. Sight, sound, smell, everything was far beyond my reach. I was still for a while until I noticed the fog beginning to thin. That's when I felt her presence. Her gentle caress against my consciousness. There was only one person who felt like that - Faelan. A few minutes later I felt her body against mine. I knew she was in wolf form, that was the only way she could have reached me so deeply, but I felt her human body.

Another figure appeared next to hers. Judging by his sizable presence I guessed it to be Hank. He bent to lift Faelan.

"_Don't._" I said. "_Leave her be._"

"_Logan?_"

"_Yeah it's me. Let her stay. She's… she's helping me._"

"_I don't understand._"

"_She's healing him, Hank._" The professor must have been listening in on us.

"_Healing him? I don't understand. Marie's the only one who can-_"  
"_This is different. It's very rare; I've only seen it happen once before. Faelan isn't absorbing or transferring powers. Her relaxed and apparently connected presence is boosting Logan's own power._"  
"_Xavier, you're going to have to explain this better._"

"_Come up to my office, Hank. Logan needs to rest._" Hank left the room and Xavier withdrew from my mind.

A little while later I finally woke up physically. Faelan had gone back to her human form, though still remained asleep, one hand and her head on my chest. I could see her eyes twitching and I knew she was dreaming. Ever so gently, I let myself into her mind.

She was a wolf, prancing through the leaves and shadows of the woods. She looked back and saw me. Slowly she made her way towards where I stood, transforming as she walked until she was right in front of me. Her arms reached around my neck and I felt myself bend to kiss her. I wasn't doing this because I wanted to, even though I did. She wanted me to, this was her dream. When the kiss ended, I pulled back only a little and took control of my own body.  
"Time to wake up, Faelan."

I knew she was awake because the dream ended suddenly and I felt her body tense against me. She picked her head up, examining my chest and arms quickly then looked at me. I smiled at the look of shock on her face.

"How long have you been awake?" she asked, sitting up properly. "How long have I been asleep?"

"He's been awake about five minutes." Hank reappeared with a stethoscope in hand, which I glared at. "You on the other hand, have been asleep for the better part of two hours."

"Why didn't you wake me? Or move me? I could have hurt him." she admonished, finally standing up to allow Hank to examine me.

"I wasn't going to mess with a wolf and when you fell asleep he told me not to."

"You know I can speak for myself." I growled, tired of being ignored.

"I thought you said he only woke up five minutes ago."

"He did, but his mind reached me long before that. It was as if as soon as you feel asleep he started healing again."

"That doesn't make sense."

"Sure it does." I interjected, sitting up finally. "Once you relaxed, some of your own special healing transferred to me. It boosted my power to work in the right way."

"Special healing?" Faelan asked, obviously confused and to be honest I kind of was too. Hank took this pause as an opportunity.

"You'll be fine, I believe. Just no more Code Reds for a while, ok?" I nodded and shook the doctor's hand and Hank left the room, closing the door tightly behind him.

"What's going on? What are you talking about?" I gazed at her before taking a deep breath.

"You have a type of healing power, different from my own, but when the two are combined they boost the other's potential. According to Xavier, it's something very rare."

"Xavier had a comment about this? Were you talking to him too?"

"Actually he heard me talking with Hank and decided to join in. You were asleep, otherwise I would have invited you too." I smiled mischievously. "Have a nice dream?"I loved the way she glared at me.

"I suppose you had something to do with that?"

"Not at all. I was just eavesdropping," She stood and bent to pick up her discarded scrubs. She was in those short shorts again. "And I liked what I saw."

"Well it's the only place you're ever going to see that." She tied a pair of scrub pants around her hips and turned back to me. What she didn't know was that I had gotten up and was now standing behind her. She glared at my collar bone for a moment before she slowly raised her eyes to mine.

"Now I could be wrong here, but there's something in your scent, in you, that tells me that's not true." Amazingly, she allowed me to put my hands on her waist and I pulled her close to me.

It was then that Marie burst in, forcing open the door and throwing it back against the wall. She surveyed the scene, and I expected her to glare at me, but instead, it was Faelan she stared at.

At that point, I'm not exactly sure what happened. Marie advanced on Faelan who had suddenly sprouted a protective fur covering. I stepped forward, but Faelan stopped me. I saw her mouth move, but the only thing I heard was in my head.

"_Don't Logan, this is between her and me._" I stepped back and in a flash it was over. Faelan had turned to full wolf and had Marie's bleeding hand in her mouth. Marie was reacting the way she did anytime she saw blood and was slowly turning pale but still able to glare at the wolf. I looked at Faelan. She was staying in one place, still as the wolf, but her eyes were wide with a fear I had never seen on her before.

Hank and Xavier entered the room. Hank grabbed Marie from Faelan who immediately returned to human, grabbing a towel to try and clean the still present blood.

"Honestly, Professor, I didn't mean to. She went after me and I suddenly lost control of the wolf -"  
"Faelan, it's alright. I know what happened. I knew the minute Marie appeared in the room. I was watching the entire thing on my way down here."

Xavier went to examine a sedated Marie. I, on the other hand, was more concerned for Faelan.

"Come on, let's get you cleaned up. You have blood all over you." I threw a clean towel over her shoulders, just the case we encountered another student. Putting a hand on her lower back I guided her back to the hall where our quarters were. My original intentions were to just see her to her room and then leave. But by the time we got to her room, I knew I couldn't do that. She was calm on the outside, but the look in her eyes betrayed her still terrified mind.

Not knowing what else to do, I set up a bath for her. While she was in the bathroom, I slipped back into my own quarters to change and was reading on her couch when she emerged. She looked so comfortable in a pair of baggy sweats and a tank top.

"How are you feeling?"

Faelan stood in front of me, her hair still damp and tears beginning to form. I stood and hugged her. She was so small against me and I easily folded by arms around her protectively.

"I never meant to hurt her Logan," She said into my chest. "She's only a student, I should have been more careful."

"You did the best you could, Faelan. You did better than I would have. If it had been me, Doc would have had to stitch up a lot more than just a bite mark." She chuckled at this and I released her slightly, letting her wipe at her tears. "How about some dinner here tonight? I'll call the kitchen and have them send something up?"

Faelan and I spent the rest of the night talking. More so me asking questions, and allowing her to tell me what she wanted. I found out that she hadn't had an easy childhood. That her parents didn't accept her for who or what she was and in the end, found a way to rid themselves of her. She spoke of Magneto as if he was the kindest person in the world. Her grandfather - I still had a hard time wrapping my head around that one. I had to give him credit, from what she said, he was the only family member who ever really loved her.

After we had eaten, Faelan walked me to the door.

"Thank you Logan, for everything tonight."

"It's the least I could do after what you did for me earlier." I don't know what made me do it, but I leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on her cheek. She didn't pull away.

"Good night, Faelan."

"Good night, Logan."

That night in my room I couldn't stop thinking about her, about that dream, the few moments we had close to each other. I couldn't be the only one of us who felt it. If she didn't feel anything she would have pushed me away, right? Would have told me to keep my distance, but she didn't. I laid in bed tossing and turning for a few hours and finally just settled on staring out the window into the darkness. The moon was full and shining into my room, casting strange shadows on the walls and floor.

I couldn't take it anymore. I left my room as I was, in just a pair of flannel pajama pants. I walked out onto the back patio. Leaning on my hands against the low wall I breathed in deeply. There was something going on inside of me that was like nothing I had ever felt. I pushed off of the wall and walked onto the grounds, heading towards the woods.

I hit the tree line and my entire body froze. It wasn't like being held in place; it was nothing like when Magneto had a hold of me. My body was changing. I was falling towards the ground, forward onto my hands. I heard and felt my knees reverse direction. I felt fur sprouting from my skin. Before I could figure out how to stop it, I had transformed into a large black wolf. I looked around me, wondering what had happened, wondering what I should do now.

That's when she appeared. I would know her anywhere. That peppered fur, those golden eyes. It was Faelan. She quietly walked up to me. She was still so much smaller than I was and she had to stretch when she nuzzled my neck. I lowered my head to her, returning the affection she was showing. She suddenly pounced down into a playful stature before bounding off to play.

I watched her in amusement knowing she had lost herself inside the wolf's mind, allowing the animal to take over for a while. I honestly couldn't blame her after the past few days. She stopped and turned, grinning at me in her wolfish way. I couldn't resist joining her.

I dropped my barriers and allowed my new wolf mind to surge forward. I raced past Faelan into the deeper part of the woods, dodging between trees and through bushes. I could feel her next to me, hot on my tail (quite literally). Suddenly I stopped and spun to face her, allowing Faelan to bowl me over. We tumbled through the leaves and ended lying next to each other, her curled up against me. Gently I placed my head over her neck, protecting her from any threat of attack. We stayed there until the sun began to rise.

"_Logan, it's time to bring her home._" It was Xavier's voice. I knew he was right. I stood and nudged Faelan with my nose, rousing her before I started back towards the mansion. When I reached the edge of the woods, I transformed back into myself, pajama pants in place. I waited for her.

Faelan appeared a few minutes later and stared at me. She then started for me, and it was like the dream coming to life. I watched her transform while walking, and suddenly she was in right in front of me. She had pulled her hair back in short. I loved it that way - it accentuated her eyes, those eyes that were fixed on mine.

"Faelan, I -"

"Don't say anything, Logan." She was there, she was fully back to being human. "You don't have to say anything at all." She reached up and caressed my cheek. I leaned down slowly, wrapping my arms around her and then finally my lips touched hers and for a few moments, nothing else existed in the world except for us. I pulled back a little and surveyed her face. Her eyes were still closed, her face relaxed.

"Please don't tell me to wake up." She whispered, raising her head just a little more.

"Never." I whispered back, stroking her face and taking her mouth against mine once more. I held her in my arms until the edge of the sun crept over the horizon. Without a word I took her hand and we walked across the grounds to the mansion.


	9. Chapter 9

Read and review please! Your input is ALWAYS welcome!  
~Mags~

I don't know how he managed to transform into my black wolf, or how he came to be in the woods at that moment, but it happened, and I was glad of it.

I hadn't been able to sleep. The events of the day had been rolling around in my head, replaying over and over again until I couldn't take it. Logan getting hurt and then the fight with Marie. God, Marie. I knew she was still in the infirmary. I had bitten her wrist hard enough to damage the major artery, hence why there was so much blood on me. I had never hurt a student before in my life. Not only that, I had never seriously hurt anyone before. It was usually just enough to scare them and get them to leave me alone.

I slipped out of the mansion and deep into the woods. It was only when I thought no one would find me did I transform in my wolf form. I had to escape from my reality, so I let the wolf mind take over and I sank back to try and forget.

I watched from the side as the wolf ran through the woods, dodging everything in it's path. It wasn't hunting or chasing anything. It was running for the pure pleasure of the run. Then I caught the scent. It was him, Logan. He was in the woods tonight. I headed in his direction, following the scent as it became stronger until finally I saw him. He was in human form, and I hid in the shadows to see what he was there for. A few minutes later I saw him fall to his hands and knees, and begin to spout black fur all over his body. The wolf became curious and moved forward to investigate more. I peered at the black wolf wondering if it was truly Logan. His smell could not lie; this wasn't a trick. I reached up and nuzzled his neck with my nose. When I felt him return the act of affection, my heart soared and my wolf self became playful.

That night Logan and I ran through the woods until we could run no more and then settled down to rest until the sun came up. I felt him stand and then nuzzle me, encouraging me up and to follow him back to the edge of the woods; back to the mansion and real life. By the time I got to the edge, Logan had already changed back into his human form.

I stared at him standing there. So sure of himself, so confident in everything he did. His unique smell, that smell that I could not place, it wasn't Marie, at least it wasn't anyone. That smell was really a feeling. I was the love that I felt for him that I smelled. I don't know why I didn't figure it out before. I don't know what took me so long to realize it. I started towards him, pushing the wolf's mind to the back of my own and I felt myself begin to grow taller and the furs recede into my skin. Without thinking about it, I let my own hair grow short in its peppered color.

"Faelan, I-" He started, but I stopped him quickly.

"Don't say anything, Logan. You don't have to say anything at all." I reached my hand up to touch his cheek. He was a little scruffy and I loved it. Logan slowly wrapped his arms around me, pulling me ever closer to him and when he finally kissed me, the world disappeared. Everything I had been worrying about, everything I had been thinking about suddenly disappeared into oblivion.

He pulled back after a bit and with my eyes still closed, I could feel him gazing down at my face.

"Please don't tell me to wake up," I begged. I imagined him smiling.

"Never." He whispered before assaulting me with another kiss.

As the sun began to creep over the horizon, Logan took my hand and led me back across the grounds to the mansion for the beginning of yet another, but indefinitely better, day.

A few days later, Marie returned to class, only not my class. Instead she was put under the tutelage of Scott. As much as I dreaded Marie's return, I knew that with Scott she wouldn't be held to her highest potential. That night I spoke to Logan about it.

"I mean, I understand why Marie was placed with Scott, but at the same time, he's going to coddle her like he always has and that's not going to do Marie any good."

"Faelan, you know if she's in the same room with you she's going to try and provoke you again." Logan and I were eating dinner together in a secluded corner of the cafeteria, mostly hidden from the students and other staff.

"I know, and therein lies my problem. I want her to be ready for the real world when she hits it, which is going to be soon. But none of us can chance that she won't try to go after me again." I dropped my fork on my plate and sat back, feeling pretty defeated. I pushed my hair out of my face for today it was long and a brownish color "I just don't know what to do." Logan put a comforting hand on mine.

"I think you've done all you can do, Faelan. All we can do is hope for the best for her."  
"It would be easier if I knew what I'd done to get her so mad at me." At that moment, Marie entered the dining room, and she zeroed right in on me. "I think that's my cue to leave." Logan turned around and saw her.

"No, just sit and relax. Maybe she's too scared of you to do anything more." I wished with all my heart that I could have believed Logan, but at that moment Marie was heading our way with wrath in her eyes.

"Logan…" I said, backing my chair up, and then backing myself up. "I don't think you're right on this one." Logan jumped to his feet, standing between Marie and myself.

"Marie, don't do this again. It's only going to get you in further trouble."

"Shut up, Logan." Marie growled. She raised her hand, and as she did so, I watched Logan rise into the air, and she simply threw him out of her way. I watched Logan soar through the air and into the wall.

"Marie," I put my hands out and crouched down slightly, preparing for an attack. "You need to calm down. We can talk about this like adults."

"The only thing I want, is to see you dead." I knew what her next move was going to be before she even moved. I saw her eyes begin to turn red and realized that she had absorbed some of Scott's power. I ran from the room, knowing she wouldn't attack until she knew she could kill me. I couldn't risk the other students getting hurt. I could hear her running after me. I took turn after turn, heading for an open space, any open space, that was free of the other students. I headed for the grounds. It was the safest place I could think of. I could get far from the mansion so no one else would be hurt.

Once clear of having to open doors I transformed myself into a faster vessel, my wolf. I knew when Marie had gotten to that point because a flash of red shot past me and dug a trench in the ground. I finally turned and faced her, turning back into my human self.

"Marie! Stop it!" I held my hands up to defend myself as she came nearer, her eyes returning to normal.

"I'm going to make you pay."  
"What did I do Marie? What did I do to make you so angry?"

"You took everything I had away from me! My family hates me, everyone I meet is scared of me, and it's because of you!" Her eyes turned red again. I waited until the last minute to dodge out of the way. I didn't understand. I had no idea what she was talking about. I didn't even know her until I came back to the mansion.

"Stop it!" Xavier's voice rang out over us and Marie froze where she was. I knew he had control over her in a way he had never done to another person. "It's alright Faelan, she's not going to do anything more. She is going to walk to the infirmary and be placed under Dr. Hank's care." I watched Marie turn and walk calmly towards the mansion.

"Professor, I haven't any clue-"

"I do." Xavier interrupted me. "Meet me in my office. I'm going to make sure Marie is properly sedated." I nodded and walked towards the mansion. Logan met me when I was almost there.

"Are you okay?" He asked, a hand on my arm, looking into my eyes. I nodded.  
"Are you?" He nodded with a little smile.

"It takes more than just a little wall to do some damage."

"I bet the wall disagrees. Xavier wants me in his office. Apparently he can explain about what's been going on."

"Well someone damn well should." He pushed a stray hair back behind my ear and kissed my forehead. "Come on, I'll come with you."

A few minutes after we had arrived in his office, Xavier made his entrance.

"Please sit," He stopped behind his desk. "Marie is being heavily sedated until we can find a way to calm her down. As for you, Faelan, it is time you knew the truth."

"The truth?" I asked. "I've asked you for the truth before and you told me you didn't know anything."

"I said that because I didn't know the whole story. But now I do and I believe it's time you knew as well." I glanced at Logan, unsure of what to think. I was angry and curious all at the same time. The look on his face told me he understood and I nodded for Xavier to continue.

"You believe that your powers manifested at the age of twelve, and that in that same year, you came here." I nodded again.

"Then Eric told me that I was like this from birth."

"And you were, and it cost you dearly. Your parents were quite adverse to having a mutant daughter. They thought they could beat it out of you and so you spent ten years being hidden from humanity and abused in the most despicable ways imaginable."

"You said I was twelve when I arrived here."

"You were." Xavier paused, staring at me. The look in his eyes told me how difficult this was for him to tell me, that he was hurting as much as I was by this. "The day you arrived at the mansion, Storm found a young wolf rooting through our vegetable garden" He smiled at bit at this memory. "She coaxed you in with the promise of food and you came willingly. I found the two of you in the kitchen. Storm believed she had just found a stray but when you looked into my eyes I saw something different, but I allowed you to stay with Storm until you felt comfortable and safe enough to reveal yourself, which you did a few days later."

"That's why I'm so close to Storm. She cared for me."

"She cared for you in a way you had never experienced. It's amazing what a little love can accomplish." He glanced at Logan before continuing. "I was finally able to see into your mind and I witnessed the obscene cruelty that you suffered. At age ten your parents kicked you out of a car in the middle of nowhere and you had spent two years surviving the only way you knew how, by transforming into the animals that inhabited your brain until you decided that the wolf was the best way to live."

"Then Storm gave me a home, without knowing anything about me except that I was lost and hungry."

"Yes, that's one of Storm's special traits that we rarely see. She has compassion and more love in her heart than she knows what to do with."

"So how does Marie fit into all of this? You still haven't explained why she hates me so much."

"You exhibited your powers at birth, leaving no doubt in the minds of your parents about who you are. Marie was fifteen when her powers finally manifested and at that time she had vague memories of what happened to you and that is what caused her to run away."

"Vague memories?" Logan questioned, glancing at me and then looking back at Xavier.

"Marie is Faelan's younger sister by about four years. She was six when Faelan was left to fend for herself. And because their parents were completely normal humans, Marie believes Faelan had something to do with her powers and therefore blames Faelan for her lack of family." I stood and walked slowly to the window to stare out on the grounds, where the gauge in the grass was still clear.

"How could I have not known?"

"I'm afraid that was my fault. It seems that when I altered your memories, it also blocked out any memory of Marie. Please believe me Faelan, I did it to protect you. I did it because I couldn't stand for you to have such awful memories."

I stared out the window for a few more minutes then turned and walked towards the door. Halfway there I stopped and stared at Xavier and Logan. Not finding any more answers or explanations, I turned and left.


	10. Chapter 10

Thank you all for your reviews! I greatly appreciate all the encouragement! Here's another chapter as I keep struggling with writing Chapter 13. Enjoy and as always read and review!  
~Mags~

Faelan had left the room without another word. I knew better than to go after her right then; she needed time to think this one through.

"Marie blames Faelan for her powers, for her inability to touch people."

"Marie still views herself as a freak, just as their parents viewed Faelan. It seems Marie is caught in between. She enjoys having her powers, but she hates the fact that she does. I don't know how to help her come to terms with it all."

"Marie is the only one who can help her with that particular point. She needs to come to terms with it on her own. I'm more concerned about what will happen the next time she and Faelan meet. Now that Faelan knows what she does, she won't defend herself against Marie."

"I know." Xavier was quiet for a few minutes. "You have to take care of her, Logan. She might be resistant to it for a little while, and you may not like it either, but I need you by her side."

"No, it's fine. I'll be there." Xavier studied me, then a slow smile crept across his face.

"I fear that my years are catching up with me. It seems I'm missing more and more these days, but this one I'm a little disappointed in myself for." I glanced up at him. "I knew you were with her in the woods, I had no idea things had changed."

"I just hope I can be what she needs me to be. I don't know how to go about helping her in this one."

"She needs to realize that what happened in her past was not her fault. That it was the fault of those who chose to abuse her and that she had no say in that choice. I hope that I made myself clear that what I did back then I did to protect her. I did it because I care about her and I wanted her to be happy. I never expected this." The front door slammed suddenly. I took off running, racing to get to Faelan before she left again. She was just outside the door, astride her bike and about to pull her helmet over her head.  
"Faelan!" I called. She stopped and looked at me, the pain clear in her eyes. "Please, don't leave again."

"As long as I'm here, Marie isn't going to get better. It's the only way Logan. I'm sorry." She pulled the helmet down and started her bike. Before I could get near enough to stop her, Faelan had taken off and was through the gates.

"Dammit!" I yelled, punching the wall next to me. Everything was going wrong just when everything was starting to go right for once. I stormed back into the mansion, pushing roughly past anyone who go in my way. I went straight to the infirmary. "Where is she Hank? Where's Marie?"

"She's sleeping, Xavier wants me to keep her sedated."

"Well then wake her up. Little miss woe is me and I need to talk." I pushed past him towards the bed where I could see Marie sleeping.

"Logan, this isn't going to help anything!" Hank yelled, grabbing me and pulling me back. "I know she's left, but you yelling at Marie isn't going to make her come back. Both of them need to figure things out for themselves. Nothing we do is going to help them. We just have to be patient."

"Easy for you to say, you're just a third party in this whole mess, just a bystander. You don't know."

"I was the one who cared for Faelan medical needs when she first arrived here, Logan. I watched over her as she grew into the young woman she is now. I love her too, just not in the same way you do."

"Then you will never know what this is like." I growled, pushing Hank off of me and leaving the infirmary. I meant to go back to my room, but instead I found myself in Faelan's room, taking deep breaths at what was left of her scent. Everything was the way it was the last time I was in here. I walked over to her bed, where the covers were still in disarray from the night before.

That is where Storm found me hours later, curled up in Faelan's sheets and blankets in the dark. Unbeknownst to Storm, it was there that I had been allowing the tears to silently fall down my cheeks.

"Are you going to stay there forever?" She asked, hands on her hips.

"That's the plan at the moment." I mumbled, burying my face into the pillow. "Just leave me alone."

"Logan, you aren't the only one in this house who loved her." I heard her voice crack slightly. "We all did. She was a daughter to Hank and Xavier, she was a sister to me. She was our family long before you showed up. You aren't the only one who misses her." Storm was very nearly crying when she left and it made me feel worse than I already did.

I got up and went to the garage. There was only one place, one person, Faelan had to run to. I had to find him. I had to find Magneto.

I took me a better part of week to track down Magneto and it took me going against every instinct I had to knock on his door. I was kind of amazed. The house where I had finally found him looked fairly normal, on a fairly normal looking middle class street. I was half expecting a dark castle high in the mountains, not a beige split level in urban suburbia New Jersey. Magneto opened the door and stared at me.

"Why on Earth would you decide to show up at my door?" He asked, a weak smile on his face. "What do you want?"

"I want to talk to Faelan."

"And what makes you think she's here?"

"Well for one thing, you aren't trying to kill me where I stand. For another, I can smell her." Magneto and I stared at each other. "Please, all I ask is that you let me see her; to let me talk to her."

"That's not up to me, Logan. It's entirely up to her." He went to close the door but I stepped forward.

"Then just let me see her, and if she wants to talk to me, then it will be her choice. If not, I'll leave." Magneto gazed at me a moment then stepped aside.

"Very well, come inside." I followed him up the few stairs to the main level of the house. "She has taken the last bedroom on the right." He gestured towards the closed door. "She told me about what has happened and I have done all I can to comfort her, and to convince her that her place is within the mansion, but she will not listen. Perhaps you will be able to do more." Magneto left me there to continue on to Faelan's room. I knocked on the door and listened.

"Go away, I told you I don't want anything." I gently tried the door knob to find it unlocked. I took this as a chance to go in and find her. The room was dark with the shades pulled, and only one small corner light lit. I could see the lump that was Faelan in her bed, covers drawn up over her head. "I said go away!" She called, her voice thick from crying. I took a deep breath and continued forward until I was able to sit on the edge of her bed. I put my hand on her side, gently pulling her to look at me. When she finally did, I felt her breathe in deeply. "Logan, what are you doing here?"

"I had to find you."

"I can't go back there, Logan."  
"Why not? We need you there, I need you there."

"But what about Marie? How do I apologize for my parent's beliefs, how do I make her understand?" Faelan began to cry again. "She thinks it's my fault she has powers she hates and I don't know how to make her think differently. She thinks it was my fault our parents didn't accept us being mutants. She thinks I abandoned her."

"But it's never been your fault. You were only a child, you had nothing to do with her powers. Xavier did what he thought was necessary in order to protect you at the time, and he did what he thought he had to now for the same reasons."

"But what about protecting Marie?"  
"He did it to protect her too. She grew up with loving parents and then she ran away before even thinking about someone other than herself. Xavier told you about your past for a reason. You just have to wait to see what that reason is, instead of running away." I put my hand on her cheek, using my thumb to wipe away her tears. "Please, come back with me. Give Xavier a chance to sort all this out." Faelan sat up in bed, looking into my eyes.

"But what if-"  
"No what ifs." I interrupted her. "You let me deal with the what ifs. You just take it one day at a time. I'll be there to help you." Faelan smiled a bit and nodded.

"Alright. Let me shower and get cleaned up and put together, then we can go back to the mansion." I smiled and left the room. I found Magneto out in the living area reading.

"So you were able to convince her to return to Xavier."

"Yes, I was. But that doesn't mean I'm taking her away from you. I'm sure there's nothing in the world that could do that and I'm sure she'll want you to visit often." Magneto was casually listening, still looking at the book. "And don't just limit your visits to late at night. Feel free to stop in whenever you want."

"I thank you for the invitation, Logan, but I believe it is up to Charles as to when I stop in."

"Not anymore. From now on it's up to you and Faelan. I think she's going to be needing you more than before."

"Yes, I know about Marie." He placed a marker in his book and lowered it. "And I was told about you as well." We stared at each other for a moment before he continued. "I believe my granddaughter could have done better, but she is very happy with you and I can see you care very deeply for her and in the end that's all that matters." He stood and took a few steps towards me. "But know this Logan, you ever hurt my little girl and you can be sure that I will find you, and at that time, I will kill you." I knew from the look in his eyes that he was serious and so I nodded. He smiled and extended his hand to me. "And from now on, feel free to call me Eric."

The ride back to the mansion was pleasant. The sun was shining making the late September air a little warmer than usual. It was just the right kind of weather for being on the bikes. Being next to Faelan, riding side by side, was a wonderful experience for me. She was an expert on the bike, smooth and flawless in her turns, perfectly comfortable in the seat. I loved to see the way her hips moved as she guided her bike around bends.

All too soon we were back at the mansion and parking our bikes side by side in the garage. Faelan pulled off her helmet and gazed at the main house. I could see the trepidation in her eyes so I took her hand and pulled her in close to me, wrapping her in my embrace.

"This is where you belong, darlin'. Here, with me, together." I kissed her forehead, and then kissed the lips on her upturned face. "I know some people who have been longing to see you back home. I don't think it's kind to keep them waiting." Faelan looked at me a little funny.

"Home?" I nodded.

"Home. Yours and mine. Our home, no matter what." Faelan smiled.

"I like that. Our home." It was Faelan who took my hand in hers and pulled me inside the mansion, announcing out presence like the second coming. "Storm! Hank! Everyone! We're home!"


	11. Chapter 11

Thanks for all the great reviews you guys have been sending me. A bit of raunchy banter towards the end, but it is cute all at the same time.  
~Mags~

Home, the idea was a new concept to me, something I had never had or even considered the mansion to be for me. When Logan said it I was skeptical for a moment, but something about it sounded right. He had come to find me at my grandfather's. How he managed to track me there is still unknown to me, but he did and he convinced me to come back. Now here I was, walking through the halls that I had run away from twice now; this place that I would now refer to as home.

I stopped suddenly as a strange new smell hit me. I looked at Logan and knew by the look on his face that he smelled it too. We both took off running to the professor's study. The door was open and inside was Storm, Scott, Jean, Dr. Hank and Kurt. Storm rushed over to me, hugging me tightly.

"Oh thank God you're okay. I thought they had gotten you too."

"They? Who are they? And who else do they have?" I asked trying to see past the fear in Storm's eyes to the answers behind them.

"They are the rebel mutants that Eric brought together several years ago." Xavier had come into the room. "They call themselves The Brotherhood and are hiding out in a small town in Maine."

"Maine?" Logan asked. "Maine is just about the least violent state in the Union. Why Maine?"

"Why is not the question at hand."

"The question is how many students did they get away with?" Scott asked, directing the conversation back to the topic at hand.

"Most of our upper level students have been taken. Bobby, Kitty, Peter, Jimmy and Marie are all missing. Warren managed to escape Mystique, but not without injury." Xavier announced. "The rest of our students were kept safe. I should have protected the older ones as well. I never thought-"

"We can't focus on that, Professor," I interjected. "What we need to focus on is getting them back, and quickly. They're still young, damage can be done faster than you think." I turned to the rest of them. "Who are we facing?" Dr. Hank stood up, activating the hologram presentation board. Figures started appearing.

"That we know of? Mystique, Pyro, Juggernaut, Toad and Sabertooth. As well as another mutant that we may have a lot more trouble with. I don't know where he manifested from, but he is known as Dark Beast." The figures disappeared and a darker, almost exact likeness of Dr. Hank appeared.

"How did they get in?" I asked. "And why weren't we called earlier?"

"It only just happened Faelan. It was a surprise attack, in the middle of broad daylight; none of us expected anything." I heard Logan begin to growl.

"I should have been here." I muttered angrily. "This is my fault, I could have helped if I had been here." Storm stepped forward and put her hand on my shoulder.

"The only thing that matters is that you are here now, and now we need to go get our children back." I nodded and we all headed to get ready to go.

I entered my room and went to my closet, pushing open first the outside door, and then an inner hidden one, exposing my new Xmen uniform; one that I had never worn before. I pulled out the black leather uniform, running my hand over detailed stitching that designated it as my own. I pulled it on, zipped up the front and looked at my reflection in the mirror.

The transformation was amazing, so much that I didn't recognize myself. The leather against my arms and torso was skin tight, but oddly movable and light. My particular uniform was one solid piece down my arms and over my hands, ending in what was essentially attached fingerless gloves. The pant legs, instead of being tight like Storm's or Jean's were looser and went over my black riding boots to settle at what I considered just the right length. The accents at the shoulder and neck were colored blue, as well as the outline of the 'X' across my chest. I ran a hand through my short hair and decided it was time.

I met Logan in the hall just outside our rooms. His uniform strangely resembled mine, but with yellow outlines and a more closed in neck line.

"Are you ready?" I nodded and followed him down the hallway to where the team jet was kept. The rest of the team was making preparations for take off. I boarded to see what was needed.  
"We are just about ready to go." Storm said, manning one of the pilot's chairs. "Get the rest of the team up and get seated." I ran halfway down the ramp and called the rest of the team up before grabbing the seat behind Storm, Logan next to me looking nervous. I gave him a worried look, but he simply shook his head, closed his eyes and put his head back against the seat as the jet began to take off. I laughed slightly to myself and took his hand in mine reassuringly.

It took only a short while to get to where the radar placed The Brotherhood to be hiding. It was an abandoned plant just outside of Burlington. To anyone who didn't know, it looked like just an empty building, but we knew differently. We landed and Storm pulled up the holographic image of the building.

"We need to get in and to the lower level, that's where the children are being kept. But to get there, we need to get in undetected." She turned and looked hopefully at me. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes.

"Jean, please make sure I don't get eaten by some stray cat." Logan looked at my curiously, then suddenly realized what was going on.

"No, absolutely not!" He yelled. "She's the youngest one here, this is her first mission, there's no way we can let her do this."

"Logan it's the only way. And it's not like she's exactly helpless!" Scott responded. "I've seen her in the danger room, I've seen her with other students and faculty. I'm pretty sure she can kick your ass if she wanted to."

"Don't get me started on you, this is about Faelan and there is no way I'm letting her-"  
"Logan," I said calmly, placing a hand on his arm. "I know what I'm doing, just please trust me." He couldn't argue with me on a good day and we both knew it, so I turned to Storm who handed me a com-link. "This is going to be huge for what I'm turning into."

"It will shrink with you. That way I can guide you to the control room where you can shut down the cameras and let us in." I nodded, putting it in place in my ear. I then took a deep breath and closed my eyes, screwing up my face out of contempt of what I was about to turn into. I felt myself shrinking, past where I would usually stop, even smaller than a cat. I became a small, brown field mouse. After I had fully changed I heard Storm's voice echoing above me.

"Are you okay, Faelan?"

"_You know I hate being in this form, right?_" I could hear Logan laughing in the background. "_Fuck you, Logan. Now quit it or I will kick your ass later._" Logan couldn't help himself, he laughed harder.

"This coming from the smallest mouse I've ever seen. Don't worry, I promise not to step on you." Silently I projected the image of flicking him off into his mind; at that point he tried to control himself but just barely. Storm bent and held out her hand for me to climb in to.

"Go, Faelan. Tell me once you get inside and I'll guide you through." She paused to put me down at the bottom of the ramp. "And be careful."

I scurried off through the fields towards the plant. It took me a little less than five minutes to reach the enclosure.  
"_Where do I go in?_" I asked.

"Go to the North side, there should be a door right around that corner. From there make the first left and the third right." Storm continued to direct me through the plant in that same fashion. Soon I crawled under my last door and found the control room. Two men sat at the computers, watching them intently. I could tell they hadn't seen me as they gave me no heed when I crawled into the room. To them I was probably one of a thousand mice that infested their building. "They aren't mutants Faelan, you should be okay to take them out on your own." At this I smiled.

"_In that case, I need to be a little bigger._" I felt myself become a bit larger, though not by much - I was now a dark gray rat and was running towards the chairs where the men sat.

"Oh for the love, Faelan! We need to move quickly!"

"_If I'm going to be this small, I'm going to take advantage of it. It will only take a moment._"

"What's she going to do?" I heard Logan ask in the background.

"She's going to bite the sciatic nerve and render them paralyzed and mute." Storm answered, sounding slightly annoyed but also quite amused.

"You can do that?"

As I listened to them discuss the finer points of my current plan, I crawled up onto the chair of the first security guard and between his body and the back of the chair. I counted up the vertebrae from the bottom, one… two… three… and sank my small teeth into the man's skin. With a slight twitch, he dropped silently against the back of the chair as I dropped onto the floor and repeated the process on the other oblivious guard.

"As easy as taking candy from a baby." I smiled once I had transformed back into my human frame.

"Good, now let us in and tie them up, and do it in that order." I laughed at Storm and turned to the control panel. It was pretty rudimentary and within moments I had disabled the security alarm, shut off outside cameras and unlocked all the doors.

"You're a go. The students are on the third floor at the end of the hallway. I'll meet you outside the control room."  
"Thank you, Faelan, we'll see you soon." I turned to the two men still sitting, albeit limply, in chairs.

"My good men, today you find yourself lucky. You have the honor of having me tie you up." I grabbed the role of duct tape that was so conveniently placed on the desk top and worked my magic. I bent them over, taping their hands to the outside of their legs, and their legs to the legs of the chair. The chairs I taped to wide steel pipes on either side of the room. To finish my work, and right before the shock to their systems wore off, I wrapped one long piece of silver tape around their mouths, and another over their eyes.

"Now that's going to hurt when it comes off." I looked up and smiled at the sight of Logan leaning in the doorway.

"That's the point," I smile mischievously and headed past him out the door to join the rest of the team.

"Are you going to tie me up like that later?" He asked, following me down the hallway.

"Only if you're very, very naughty."

"Looks like I have some work to do."

"Ah! Can you two please- just- ugh." Logan laughed at Scott cringed in disgust at our banter.

"Oh, come on, Scotty, stop being a prude," I teased, running my hand across his hips as I passed by. "I can't even see your eye, but I know you would love something like that." Scott grimaced and continued on his way quickly, but he couldn't hide the red blush that was creeping up his neck. Jean caught up with me and whispered in my ear.

"You think you can teach me to do that later?" She had a sly grin on her face that made me laugh.

"I knew you were in to that! And don't worry, I can teach you the best." I saw Logan's eyebrow raise as he heard my comment. I smiled and winked before changing into my wolf form and bounding up the stairs.


	12. Chapter 12

Sorry for the heavy delays. I've been recovering from hip surgery so writing was put on hold. I hope you enjoy this!  
~Mags~

I was quite pleasantly surprised. The thought of battle usually put people in a quiet, terse mood, but Faelan seemed to thrive on it. I hadn't seen her like this in - well - never. When we first met she was tight mouthed and brusque. Lately she had been quiet and reserved, but still not herself. This Faelan, the one bantering back and forth with the team, smiling and bounding around having fun; this was an entirely new Faelan and it was starting to turn me on.

The team gathered for a few moments, Storm taking charge.

"Faelan and Logan, you get straight into the room with the children. Make sure they're okay, and ready to fight. I don't know if we're going to need them, but better be safe than sorry. The rest of us, we'll deal with whatever is up there." We nodded in consent, Faelan and I hanging back as Storm, Scott, Jean and Hank made the first assault. Faelan smiled at me. There was only one thing I could do in that moment and I did it.

I grabbed Faelan around the waist and roughly drew her close to me and kissed her for all I was worth. A moment later, after the kiss had finished, she smiled again.

"Save that thought for later." She stepped back, glanced around the corner and face me again. "Time to get a little furry." She dropped into a crouch, and I mimicked her. Together we transformed into our own respective wolves and in the next instant dashed around the corner to dodge through the fighting that was going on. There were more mutants that I would have thought possible in this small area. It seemed as if we had ambushed them at the exact moment that they were going for the students. All the better for us in my mind. I could feel my own team looking at me curiously as they were probably only expecting to see one wolf, not two.

The door at the end of the hall was already open slightly allowing Faelan and myself to slip through. I got into the room behind her and Faelan quickly slammed the door shut behind me. We changed back into our human forms and surveyed the kids in front of us.

"Faelan!" Kitty shouted, running forward hug her tightly. I saw Jimmy's head shoot up from where he sat on a bunk in the corner. He didn't say anything, but also ran to Faelan, burying his face against her to hide the tears I had already seen. I looked to Peter and Bobby.

"Are you two okay?" The boys nodded, trying to control themselves to not act like the two younger students. I glanced over at Faelan who had knelt and was talking with Kitty and Jimmy. I looked back at the other two. "I won't tell." A look of relief soared through Peter and Bobby's face and they ran forward to hug me appreciatively.

"What happened back at the mansion? Have they tried to do anything to you guys?" Faelan had stepped up to us and went to make sure Peter and Bobby were to her satisfaction. Peter accepted her hug, but Bobby stepped back.

"Where were you? Why weren't you at the mansion when you were needed?" His questions was directed at Faelan.

"It's complicated Bobby. I needed to get away for a little while."

"You needed to get away from your responsibilities. Aren't you supposed to be an adult?"

"Bobby, I-"

"You abandoned us! Just like you abandoned Marie! You pretend to care but you really don't! Otherwise you would have never left!" Bobby yelled at her. Faelan stood there silently as he went off and waited until he was finished.

"Bobby, I was twelve when I came to the mansion. I had been abused and beaten and thrown away by my parents and spent two years in the middle of nowhere fending for myself. By the time I got to the mansion, Xavier was trying to keep me from becoming a danger and so he erased my memories of that time, including those of Marie. She's my sister, her powers are in no way my fault, and what she does with them I don't have control over. But know this, I would never abandon any of you." She paused, letting it sink in. "If I didn't care, I wouldn't be here now. I don't think I could ever not care about all of you. Please, Bobby, please believe me."

Bobby and Faelan stared at each other for a moment before Bobby tearfully hugged her; Faelan having to stand on her toes to hug him properly.

"Alright, now that that's all settled, we need to find a way out of here, and we need to find Marie."

"I don't think Marie's going to be coming with us, Logan," Peter said. "She joined up with the Brotherhood the first chance they gave her. She never even put up a fight when they came to take us. She just smiled like she knew they were coming and knew what they wanted."

"But John wants to come back." Bobby piped up. "He's been trying to help us, telling us how to trick the machines and stuff. It's been working so I think we can trust him."

"Okay, but that brings us back to our first problem - getting out of here." Faelan reminded us.

"We already have a plan." Jimmy smiled. There was a huge blast from out in the hallway. "And that's where it starts."

"What was that?" I asked going to the door. I could feel the heat through the metal.

"That was John." Bobby pulled me out of the way. "Just follow our lead." Jimmy moved to stand behind Bobby and began taking off his gloves. Peter picked up Kitty and adorned his own personal armor over both of them and prepared to take off running. Faelan and I smiled at each other, proud of our students for their creativity, and got in line behind Jimmy.

"Once the door is open, I suggest you two take the sides. Whatever you do, don't get in front of me or Bobby, or else you might end up frozen and completely powerless." Jimmy warned, as Bobby cooled the door, opened it and froze the immediate threat of fire. As a team, the six of us began to move.

I was amazed at the way my students moved together. Of course, I couldn't exactly call them _my _students; Faelan had a great hand in their training and education as well. I watched them carefully and noticed that none of them attacked to kill, only to render unconscious. I guessed that this was part of Faelan's doing and was glad of it - killing at their age would have been detrimental to their development.

We soon caught up with the rest of the team who seemed a little shocked in their fighting. I really couldn't blame them as they were now facing Marie as she fought for the Brotherhood.

It was a Marie I had never seen, one who wasn't going to listen to what anyone told her, one who had already made up her mind as to what she thought was the truth. She spotted Faelan.

"You," she growled and turned her attentions directly onto Faelan.

"Marie, you have to listen to me."

"I don't have to listen to anyone!"

"Bobby, Jimmy, the rest of you with me!" I yelled, trying against hell to get the students out of the way of the approaching, metaphorical gun fight.

"No!" Bobby yelled back. "We have to help Faelan! We stand together!" I watched our students run and form up behind Faelan. This was one thing I couldn't disagree with and so I joined them, standing right next to the most important person in my life.

"Alright Marie, if you want one of us, you get all of us." I told her calmly. I watched Marie change her position, I watched her begin to gather her power, and then I watched a thin, blond haired man creep up behind her.

What happened next was only something that could have happened in a movie, and if I hadn't been there to witness it I would have never believed it. Peter and Kitty suddenly came up through the floor next to Marie. Peter grabbed Marie around the waist, threw her in the air and then quickly disappeared back through the floor with Kitty. That's when Bobby and John fired their own powers at the same time, freezing Marie in a plasma that they lowered back to the ground. Jimmy pushed himself between Faelan and me and walked calmly up to Marie.

"I know you would love to absorb some of my power right now, but I'm afraid that isn't possible," Jimmy explained calmly. "I am naturally a class five mutant, you only got to that level by stealing the powers of others and sadly that doesn't count. I'm sorry Marie." Jimmy slid his hand through the plasma and touched Marie's. There was no physical change in her, but I saw the look in her eyes as Jimmy drained her of her powers. Faelan stood up straight and looked at our students.

"You guys planned that from the start." She observed a smile on her face.

"Of course. Didn't you and Logan tell us to always have a plan?" Kitty asked. "It's just a good thing you guys didn't screw it up." I had to laugh at this one and I reached out and pulled Kitty into a hug.

"Alright gang, it's time to go home."

John appeared around Marie's entrapped form looking bashful and little uneasy.

"Do you think that sentiment could include me?" Next to me, Faelan smiled and stepped forward.

"Hey ya, Johnny." John smiled and stepped into Faelan's open arms.

"Hey ya, Cuz."

"Cuz?" I asked, completely confused. As far as I was concerned, John and Faelan had never met before today.

"He hasn't figured it all out yet, has he?"

"Be patient, he's new to this." Faelan laughed, ruffling his blond hair. "Come on, the team will be waiting for us." Seeing the utterly confused look on my face, Faelan linked her arm through mine. "I'll try to explain on the way back."

Storm was waiting just outside the door for us, looking slightly impatient.

"Where's Marie? And what's Pyro doing here?"

"John is coming home with us." Faelan answered, putting a protective arm across John's shoulders and leading him onto the jet. Storm chose not to argue and instead turned to me.

"And Marie?"

"Marie is no longer a threat." I answered shortly.

"You killed her?" Storm shrieked in an appalled way.

"No, Jimmy drained her powers." I clarified. "I never said we killed her, I just said she was no longer a threat."

"We don't kill anyone," Kitty said stepping up boldly. "We decided that it is not up to a select group of people to decided who lives or dies. We aren't here to become dictators."

I felt myself smile at my students new-found wisdom, realizing for the first time that our students were learning more than just what we were teaching them.


End file.
